The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has counselled members of the House to ensure transparency and accountability in discharging their duty.
He urged them to strengthen the legislative arm of government ahead of the future.
Obasa said this in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Sunday at the opening of a three-day budget retreat for lawmakers and staff of the House, with the theme: “Optimising the legislature’s power of the purse’ for effective service delivery in Lagos State.”
The Speaker challenged the lawmakers to commit to their legislative duties, leave lasting legacies for the future, and strengthen governance, responsibility, and accountability.
“What we do now is really not about us; it is for the totality of the system.
“I appreciate this budget retreat. Each one of us must be responsible for carrying out the assignments we are tasked with. This is very essential.
“We carry out budget scrutiny based on what is presented by the executive. Once we give the go-ahead, it means the executive must comply and treat it accordingly because it has become a law.
“Going forward, all the reports of each committee must be presented on the floor of the House. This will help us decide on how to act for the sake of transparency and accountability,” the Speaker said.
He advised the lawmakers against docility in the task of ensuring that Lagos continues to weather economic storms.
“We all have roles to play and, in doing that, sentiments and self-benefits must be removed. The day you start with self-benefit, you have become a failure.
“If you do your job the way you should do it, you will earn your respect and will be held in high esteem by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“We are here again to look at how we can improve on the laws we make at the House of Assembly as well as our oversight functions. Let’s continue to be dedicated and loyal and I am sure we will get there.”
Let’s always straighten the path for Lagosians and those coming behind us,” he said.
In his opening remarks, the Clerk and Head of Service of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, described the retreat as an avenue to gain insights into the state’s budget.
Last week, the Assembly convened a public hearing to discuss a bill aimed at amending the Lagos State Electoral Commission Law.
The event, held at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium in Alausa, Ikeja, focused on enhancing the electoral process at the local government level in preparation for the upcoming local government elections.
Speaking at the event, Obasa, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat, stated that the bill sought to elevate the state’s electoral standards to match global best practices.
