Governance in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, may dip further in the months preceding the May 29 handover date as the incumbent governor, Akinwumi Ambode, may be denied the luxury of time to make a meaningful impact implementing the state’s N852.317 billion budget.
There are plans to delay the passage of the state’s 2019 budget by the 40-member Lagos State House of Assembly until about middle of second quarter of this year when Ambode would have about a month or less to exit government, a source told BusinessDay.
Governance in Lagos has been sliding since the third quarter of 2018, especially in the build-up to the primary elections of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The lull in governance in the state has been worsened by the ongoing electioneering campaigns.
Following his failed attempt to secure the ticket of his party the APC in the October 2, 2018 primary elections towards the realisation his second term bid, Ambode is bound to leave office on May 29 this year.
A number of key infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Agege Pen Cinema Flyover, among others have been left unattended as some contractors have since pulled their personnel from sites.
Although the House of Assembly had begun work on the 2019 Appropriation Bill having taken it through the first and second readings, it was, however, gathered that the passage of the bill into law would not come soon.
The lawmakers last week adjourned sitting till April 4 to enable them participate in the electioneering campaigns ahead of the February 23 presidential/national assembly and March 9 governorship/state houses of assembly polls.
The executive and legislative arms of the state government had sharply disagreed on the 2019 budget, which was delayed until February 6 when Ambode presented it without the fanfare usually associated with budget presentation in Lagos since 1999.
While the lawmakers accused Ambode of being responsible for the delay that characterised the budget, the executive on its part blamed the lawmakers for not giving the governor the opportunity to lay the budget before the house. The disagreement had led to a threat by the house to impeach Ambode as they accused him of ‘gross misconducts’ and spending of funds not appropriated and approved by the legislature.
Although Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State (1999-2007), led members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision making body in the Lagos APC, to resolve the legislative/executive rift, it was gathered that there are still acrimonies within as the lawmakers and the leadership of APC in the state still believe that Ambode is not totally loyal to the party.
“The House is working on the budget. Committees are inviting their MDAs. Work is in progress,” Funmilayo Tejuosho, chairman of the state House of Assembly committee on information, said when contacted.
Before the House proceeded on the break, Gbolahan Yishawu, lawmaker representing Eti-Osa constituency II and chairman of economic planning and budget committee, had stated that the budget was an all-encompassing one compared to the 2018 budget in terms of revenue generation.
“This is a very realistic budget,” Yishawu had said, adding that the budget aimed at areas such as security, health, education as well as infrastructural development and made provision for the new minimum wage which made it beneficial to everyone.
Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the House, had committed the budget to the committee on economic planning and budget to report back in six weeks, citing ongoing campaign across the state, and adjourned sitting to April 4.
JOSHUA BASSEY
