The confirmation of two nominees sent by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for appointment to the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) has been suspended by the Lagos State House of Assembly, citing the need for additional review of their submissions.
Durosimi Yinka and Seriki Ahmed are the impacted nominees; their confirmations were postponed until the lawmakers had more time to examine them.
In the meantime, three further applicants who passed the screening procedure were confirmed by the Assembly. These include Olabanji Folashade, the most recent vice chairman of Ikorodu Local Council, Hakeem Bamgbola, the former chairman of Itire/Ikate Local Council Development Area, and Olaleye Samsudeen, the former chairman of Isolo LCDA.
Following the report of the House’s 12-member ad hoc screening committee, which was presided over by Mojeed Fatai Adebola, who represented Ibeju-Lekki Constituency I, the judgements were made in plenary.
Adebola revealed that throughout the screening process, the committee evaluated each of the five nominees based on constitutional provisions, pertinent legislation, their professional backgrounds, prior records, character, presentations, and responses.
He said that in addition to other relevant legal requirements, the assessment was carried out in compliance with Sections 106 and 192 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution.
Three nominees were approved and the report was adopted after Speaker of the House Mudashiru Obasa put the committee’s recommendations to a voice vote. The confirmation of the other two nominees was postponed.
In the meantime, the Assembly has approved the implementation of mechanised sweeping operations along Section 1 of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, but it has stressed that the initiative cannot cause manual street sweepers to lose their jobs.
The MPs’ stance came after an ad hoc committee led by Olumoh S. L. (Ajeromi-Ifelodun Constituency) adopted a report on an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) arrangement favouring BlueCap Technology Limited for the expansive project.
According to Olumoh’s report, the committee was advised by representatives of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, or LAWMA, under the direction of Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, its Managing Director, that manual sweeping techniques were not enough to keep densely crowded road corridors clean.
Lawmakers expressed concerns about the project’s potential impact on the livelihoods of street sweepers, especially women who depend on the work as a significant source of income, even as they acknowledged the significance of implementing contemporary technology to raise sanitation standards and improve road safety.
Speaker Obasa emphasised that safeguards for current employees must be included in the shift to mechanised cleaning in order to prevent unemployment caused by technological advancement.
The Assembly cautioned against subjecting the state to needless financial responsibilities and asked for further transparency regarding the proposed ISPO’s repayment schedule and recovery procedure.
In order to guarantee appropriate financial management, lawmakers also instructed the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget to incorporate any unfulfilled financial obligations resulting from the project in upcoming budgetary projections.