Lagos State House of Assembly is obviously angry with Senator Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe Central), for what it called his insult on the members in the process of cross-firing with the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
Senator Goje who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, was reported to have asked the minister on July 5, not to see the National Assembly as an institution he could control the way he controlled the Lagos Assembly. Senator was responding to Fashola over issues bothering on the 2017 budget.
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, who reacted to Goje’s remark today, Monday, directed the Clerk of the House, Sanni Azeez, to write a protest letter to the Senate over such a comment by Goje.
This followed a motion moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Tunde Braimoh, in respect of a statement credited to Goje (APC-Gombe Central) against the House.
Braimoh said that the matter was reported in the national newspapers edition of July 6, 2017.
“The senator derogatorily referred to the Lagos State House of Assembly by saying that the National Assembly was not Lagos State House of Assembly. The statement is derogatory, uncomplimentary and it is an insult on the Assembly.
“The constitution does not give the senate power to superintend the state assembly. All the newspapers reported the story and it is an uncomplimentary and disparaging as well as an unparliamentary statement. The context in which the statement was made was slanderous.”
According to him, the statement had brought the House to public ridicule and it made people to feel that the House is a rubber stamp.
“Goje ought to be more civil with words with his status.”
In his contributions, Rotimi Olowo, the Chairman, House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, said Lagos Assembly is an institution that people of other climes appreciate, adding that if Goje has issues with Fashola, he should sort it out rather than insulting the assembly.
He, however, said that the house should write the Senate to reprimand the senator on the matter.
In his remarks, Yinka Ogundimu, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance, described the statement as provocative.
Also, Tobun Abiodun, the Chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, said that there were certain expectations from lawmakers based on ethics of the office.
“What Goje said is an insult on the leadership of this House. We demand an apology from Goje and the senate,” he said.
The House later adjourned the plenary session until tomorrow, Tuesday. [myad]
