The Lagos State House of Assembly has elected Hon. Mojisola Meranda, the deputy speaker and representative of Apapa Constituency 1, as the new Speaker.
She replaces Mudashiru Obasa, who was removed from the position on Monday, January 13, 2025. Meranda has already been sworn in, making her the first female speaker in the history of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Her election followed the impeachment of Obasa by 32 members of the Assembly. In addition, Hon. Fatai Mojeed, the deputy chief whip, was elected as the new deputy speaker, taking over from Meranda.
Obasa’s removal stemmed from allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement. These claims were central to his impeachment, which was a result of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
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While the full details of his impeachment remain unclear, it has been reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had been petitioned in December 2024 to investigate Obasa for alleged financial misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
A petition filed by the Progressive Youth Movement of Ikeja accused Obasa of embezzling funds from the Lagos House of Assembly through proxy companies and bypassing procurement processes.
It also highlighted that the Finance Management Committee had not met officially since the Assembly’s inauguration, which enabled Obasa to make financial decisions without authorization.
The Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition had filed a petition with the EFCC regarding the mismanagement of N17 billion earmarked for the construction of a gate at the House of Assembly.
The Progressive Youth Movement further alleged that Obasa awarded a N469 million contract for the construction of the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat to Orgnitek Consult Limited, one of the companies implicated in his fraudulent activities.
Additionally, the group claimed that Obasa approved N200 million for a thanksgiving event at the Assembly, suggesting that the actual cost should not have exceeded N2 million.
When contacted for comment, Obasa dismissed the allegations, describing them as politically motivated and nonsensical.
He stated, “We should do ourselves a favour, all this nonsense, unfounded allegations, is not going to help all of us at all. N200 million for a whole institution; let me break it down, a whole institution which the members of the institution alone are almost one million people, not to mention the extended invitations to the public, including children’s parties.
“When you consider the economic situation of today, do you believe that N200 million is so much to carry out such an event? I have not even agreed that it is N200 million that was spent, but let me go with your figure.”
He further refuted claims of financial mismanagement, stating: “Secondly, the awarded contract – the company they mentioned, is it in my name? Do they see my name or the names of my family members as directors?
“And in the same manner I was accused of using N17 billion to construct a gate, how much is the House of Assembly allocation that I will now carry out the construction of a gate at the rate of N17 billion? For the fact that you want to satisfy some people, at least they should be reasonable.
“When election is approaching, all manner of allegations will start coming up. So, I don’t know what you expect me to say”.
Obasa’s Controversies
The impeached speaker was involved in a few controversies during his tenure. A few months ago, a pro-Lagos advocacy group, Eko United criticised Obasa for his alleged disrespect to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the office of the governor of Lagos State.
Leader of the group, Bolakale Akano also suspected that Obasa was engaged in some divide-and-rule schemes to shore up his image and standing with President Bola Tinubu. He had also indicated interest in contesting the governorship seat in 2027.
Obasa’s cup was apparently full after the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, reported him to President Tinubu at a recent courtesy visit.
Chairman of GAC, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi told the president he wanted to give him a situation report on the state of play in the state.
The old man, who reminded the president of how highly the governor’s office was held in the state, when he was governor between 1999 and 2007, allegedly told the president that the disrespect that Governor Sanwo-Olu had suffered in the hands of the speaker was no longer acceptable.
Irked by the report, Tinubu was said to have openly lashed Obasa for not just disrespecting the governor and his office, but also for poorly managing the politics of the state and causing division.
Crediblenewsng.com
