IBRAHIM QUADRI
The crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly is far from being over as two clerks have emerged giving conflicting directives to the staff.
A source within the Assembly confirmed to our correspondent the situation currently is even worse than what was experienced before the removal of Hon Mudashiru Obasa on January 13.
The latest development is coming amidst the return of Obasa on Monday as the Speaker after the resignation of Hon Mojisola Meranda.
Olalekan Onafeko was suspended by the House on January 13, the same day Obasa was removed by the majority of the 40 lawmakers sitting on the fateful day.
Obasa’s Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, was made the new Speaker by the lawmakers.
Similarly, Onafeko was replaced by Babatunde Ottun, a development that marked the beginning of the crisis at the House.
Like Obasa, Onafeko had approached an industrial court to challenge his suspension.
On February 20, the National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos sacked the acting clerk, Babatunde, who was appointed by Meranda. The court ordered the reinstatement of Onafeko.
The order followed an ex parte application to the court made by Onafeko through his counsel, Yusuf Nurudeen, in a case he filed against the Lagos State Government, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Attorney-General of Lagos State and Babatunde.
However, while Obasa was returned as the new Speaker on Monday, Onafeko’s case was not raised during plenary.
There was therefore palpable tension on Thursday as the staff could not identify which of the directives should be obeyed.
Daily Champion gathered that Ottun had been invited twice at the DSS office since the reinstatement of Obasa.
“The situation now is toxic. We can’t even know whose directive to obey from the two,” the source said.
For a better society
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
