Lagosians To Know Commissioner-Designates As Sanwo-Olu Submits Final List To Assembly

With less than five days to the expiration of 60 days constitutional grace provided for elected governors and president to constitute their cabinets, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State is finally set to unveil and forward his final list of commissioner-designates to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval. This is about to happen any moment from now.

Theliberationanews sources revealed that the imminent development has brought about anxiety and suspicion from the fold of lobbyists within the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The imminent development is in tandem with the latest alteration (No.23) which amended the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 requiring the President and Governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly; and for related matters.

It will be recalled that on March 16, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman House Committee on Constitution Review, Idris Wase, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 constitutional amendment bills into law which include: Fifth Alteration (No.23).

With the new law, Governor Sanwo-Olu, like other governors and the president, is expected within the next five days to name his cabinet within 60 days after taking the oath of office on May 29 and transmit it to the State House of Assembly for confirmation.

Sanwo-Olu, in the first term, had appointed 38 aides comprising 21 commissioners and 17 special advisers that made up his cabinet.

He ordered the dissolution of the state executive cabinet and all other aides with effect from Friday, May 26, 2023, in compliance with constitutional provision.

Recently, the Governor made the first appointments of principal aides since his inauguration for a second term in office on May 29, 2023.

Former Chief of Staff, Tayo Ayinde and Deputy Chief of Staff, Gboyega Soyannwo, were re-appointed retaining their former roles, while Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, was appointed as the new Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and succeeding Folashade Jaji. Until her appointment, Salu-Hundeyin was the Commissioner representing Lagos at the National Population Commission, NPC.

He subsequently, announced the reappointment of Gboyega Akosile as Chief Press Secretary, Jubril Gawat and Wale Ajetunmobi as his senior special assistants on media.

According to credible sources, Sanwo-Olu has concluded plans to send the list of the commissioner-nominees to the Lagos State House of Assembly this week for consideration.

“The correspondence from the Governor is expected to be read out and discussed on the floor of the House before the weekend. The non-release of the Ministerial list by President Bola Tinubu has been a major factor in the delay in the Lagos list.

The development has, however, led to anxiety among APC ranks, and lobbyists, particularly, the former aides during the first term who have been anxious about the possibility of returning to the cabinet.

It was gathered that the list, which is gender sensitive, comprises former aides (names-withheld) based on their performances and the roles played during the last general elections, with a minimal percentage allotted to new entrants who are technocrats and active party faithful.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu, and his Deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, according to feelers, held a closed-door interactive session with many of the nominees last week at Lagos House, Marina.

Earlier, the leadership of the party had instructed each Local Government chapter of the party to submit three names for scrutiny and possible appointment for the list which was addressed at the interactive session aimed to serve as a pruning process by the Governor.

According to sources from the interactive session, the nominees were grilled on their understanding and vision of THEMES’ Agenda, Greater Lagos, as well as contributions to the development of the state and the party in general.

“The list has already been submitted to the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, the highest decision-making organ of APC in the state, led by the elder statesman and Tinubu ally, Tajudeen Olusi, to draw up the final list of the commissioners-nominees,” the source said.