The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, denied any hostility between the state House of Assembly and the executive branch on Wednesday.
Sanwo-Olu mentioned that there were some reservations regarding the initial rejection of some nominees by the lawmakers during the swearing-in of 37 new commissioners and special advisers in Ikeja.
On September 7, the lawmakers rejected the governor’s nomination of two candidates for commissioner. Nevertheless, the assembly accepted 15 of the governor’s subsequent 18 choices for commissioner.
The governor claimed he was forced to submit an updated list of candidates for the screening process a week later as a result of the rejection.
“Let me go further to say that I am not unaware of the feelings in some quarters that the initial rejection of some nominees by the Lagos State House of Assembly, necessitating the submission of a revised list of nominees, signified a call to arms between the Executive and the Legislature. I reject such feelings in totality.
“Were the Executive designed to be omnipotent and omniscient, the very important oversight function of the Legislature will be needless.”
The governor, however, applauded the state House of Assembly for their commendable performance during the four-week-long nominee screening process.
He also urged the newly appointed cabinet members to consistently strive for excellence in their work and actively involve the public in their endeavors.
“To the new members of the Executive Council, this spirit of cooperation and collaboration with the Lagos State House of Assembly is one that you must continue to build on. The people of Lagos State demand and expect the best.
“Achieving this requires every one of you to reach out, to engage and to collaborate. It requires you to have the humility to listen and to learn; the humility to consult widely and to consider well meaning advice; and the humility to recognise that we all win or lose together. I demand and expect no less from you all.
“The task of this new Cabinet is clear. It is to build on the successes of our Administration’s first 4 years in office. It is to take our people closer and closer to our dream of a Greater Lagos. As fate will have it, we are also marking the First 100 Days of our Administration’s Second Term in Office. So today is as good a time as any to review the past, and to set our sights on the glorious future ahead of us.” He stated
