…at 15th Executive/Legislative parley

By Benjamin Omoike, Lagos

A call for collaboration between the Executive and Legislative arms of government for seamless governance, has been made by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa.

Sanwo-Olu stated this while addressing the press at the opening of the Lagos State Government sponsored three-day 15th Executive/Legislative parley at Ikota, Lekki, Lagos. 

The parley has Lawmakers from the Lagos state Assembly, Senators and House of Representatives Members from Lagos state, State Exco Members and State APC party leaders.

The theme of the parley is: ‘Harmonious Relationship Among Various Arms of Government: A Necessity for A Greater Lagos’.

The governor said the parley is geared to seeing how governance has fared in the state and how both arms of government can continue to collaborate to realise the greater Lagos dream of all Lagosians.

“It is a working relationship that will bring about development and governance that will be seamless for our people and at the end of the day, we would have a progressive and hitch-free understanding of ourselves once we realise that the roles and responsibilities are different.

“We are here to iron out and resolve things that are very contentious or if there is any advise we need to give ourselves and at the end of the day our citizens will be the beneficiaries.”

The whole essence, Sanwo-Olu said is to bring about positive and quality governance representation at the highest level of the people, where people will feel the dividends of democracy and they will see that Lagos will continue to experience purposeful development.
“So it makes governance in itself seamless and a win-win situation for all of us at the various level of governance,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor said the parley is also for state representatives at the National Assembly to acquaint the state with critical issues that they are facing at Abuja and also see what they can do to address some issues critical to the state at Abuja.

“It is also an opportunity for our party leaders to remind us of the promises we made to the people as well as the party manifesto and to ask us how we are faring.

“So, at the end all of us will be better enriched, geared and motivated to go out there and deliver all the dividends of democracy at all levels of governance, and we will continue to ensure that we foster a working relationship and understanding that everybody has a role to play and giving everybody the deserved respect and opportunity for everybody to begin to do well and play their role in governance and greater Lagos conversion that we are talking about.”

Also answering questions from journalists, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa thanked the governor for sustaining the parley, saying it is a platform for a harmonious working relationship “where information, understanding and collaboration is a major factor in all that we are doing.”
He said the parley will enable them to continue to build on what they have achieved. 

“We are supportive of the executive arm and we will continue to do that to ensure we serve our people, but that does not mean we will turn a blind eye to something we feel we must look into,” Obasa said.
The Speaker said the State Assembly needs the collaboration of the state representatives at the National Assembly in its bid to amend the constitution to achieve some of the things it has been clamouring for, such as Special Status for Lagos, state police and a transportation system that will allow the state and neighbouring states to connect together, “we need them to push that through,” Obasa said.