Lagos Assembly pledges collaboration with Nigerian Army on security

.Approves reordering of 2024 Budge, increases capital expenditure

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has pledged the support of the House for the Nigerian Army with the goal of sustaining the peace experienced in the State.

Dr. Obasa gave the assurance on Thursday when he received Brigadier General Olawale Matthew Oyekola, 48th Commander of the 9 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, who visited the House of Assembly with his team.

According to the Speaker, the State’s legislature with 40 lawmakers is committed to ensuring peace and stability in all the local government areas of Lagos and welcomes every support from the right quarters in this regard.

“I want to assure you of our total support. Our arms are wide open. When you need us, all you have to do is just call on us. We are at the House of Assembly to protect the people’s interests, their rights and ensure they do what they are supposed to do.

“We love peace in Lagos, which you can call a mini-Nigeria. And with your coming, we hope to sustain the peace we have in the State.

“Our interest is to prosper Lagos economically, socio-politically and in infrastructure,” the Speaker said while commending Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his policies that have kept the State growing.

Obasa used the opportunity to hail men of the military who, he described as gallant, for their dedication and loyalty to Nigeria. He specially commended the military men tackling insecurities in some parts of the country, particularly in the Northeast.

Speaking earlier, Brigadier General Oyekola said he was in the House to associate with the representatives of the people of Lagos who he and his men are mandated to protect.

Noting that he was returning to Lagos 20 years after he left the State, he said Lagos is peaceful and that this status needed to be sustained.

He solicited the support of Lagosians for the Army, which he called the third layer of protection with the Nigeria Police Force as the first layer.

“Wearing this uniform does not make us different from the people. We are first civilians before becoming men in uniforms,” he said.

General Oyekola resumed at the Brigade’s Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos on August 21, 2024 after previously serving as Chief of Staff at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI.

However, The Lagos State House of Assembly has amended the Appropriation Law of 2024 that has a size of N2,267,976,120,869.

The reordering is sequel to a letter dated August 9, 2024 and  sent to the House by the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

According to a statement by Eromosele Ebhomele

Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly the legislature at plenary on Thursday gave the approval after the Chairman of the Committee on Economic Planning and Budget, Hon. Lukman Olumoh, presented the report and recommendations of the Committee which were adopted as the resolution of the House.

Though the total budget size remains the same, the recurrent expenditure was reduced from N952,430,566,998 in the original budget to N935,377,028,422 while the capital expenditure was increased from N1,315,545,553,871 to N1,332,599,092,448 following the reordering.

“That a bill for a law to authorise the issuance and appropriation of N935,377,028,422 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for Recurrent Expenditure and N1,332,599,092,448 from the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure thereby totalling a revised budget size of N2,267,976,120,869 for the year ending 31st December, 2024 be passed into law,” the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, announced to his colleagues who unanimously voted in favour.

The Speaker, thereafter, directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to forward a clean copy of the bill to the Governor for his assent.

Prior to the passage of the reordered budget, Hon. Olumoh reminded the House that in the letter sent by the Governor, the latter explained that the rationale for the request to redistribute the budget included the need to boost the appropriation to some Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals.

The letter requesting the reordering had also emphasised the need to meet the State Government’s commitments to the residents through the budget.