Lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to agitations from Nigerians for restructuring and dialogue on the future of the country with a view addressing their fears.
The lawmakers also commended the president, members of the National Assembly, and all democrats, both progressives and conservatives, for their roles in the development of the country over the years.
They also urged the state governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, to continue to provide the necessary atmosphere for the economic development of the state.
The lawmakers took turns to speak on Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary after the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, raised the issue during plenary on Monday under Matter of Urgent Public Importance.
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Adams recalled that Nigeria got independence on 1st October 1960. Going down memory lane, he said that it was on 1st October 1900 that the Northern and Southern Protectorates were created and that in 1914, the northern and southern protectorate were amalgamated.
“The Motion for the independence of Nigeria was moved in 1953 by Anthony Enahoro. We got independence in 1960, but we have had issues such as the civil war, economic challenges and others.
“Since independence, the issue of national unity has always been a problem. The issue of economic development has been a problem and we have been depending on oil and attention has not been on industrialisation.
“Lagos has always been at the forefront of development for the country, so the state needs to be given a special status,” he said.
The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said in his comment that the views of the lawmakers were not the same and that what they wanted were different.
“If we talk about what we have achieved, we should compare it with the fund that we have had and see if they commensurate.
“We should look at the countries that have developed not those that are struggling. We should look at our problems and see what we have done wrong.
“We talk about poverty, unemployment, inflation, lack of qualitative education, ethnic division, Oodua, Biafra, Arewa and the people of Niger Delta are making agitations.
“The president should have listening ears. Our federalism is more of unitary government so we must be careful so that what happened in Sudan will not happen here.
“We should continue to talk until we get there. We should address the issue of poverty, and inflation,” he said.
Also speaking, Rotimi Olowo (Shomolu 1) stated that the infrastructure and economy of Nigeria are in a shambles and that there was need to look for alternatives such as agriculture and reverse the present way of life as appetite for foreign goods is reducing the value of the naira.
He added that there is a need for the National Assembly to ensure justice, and that Lagos State needed special allocation to be able to generate revenue.
Another lawmaker, Victor Akande (Ojo 1) said that Nigerians should thank God for the opportunity to be in Nigeria and be Nigerians, and that everybody should be called upon to rise up to the occasion based on her national anthem.
“In the past, we used to depend on agriculture and our money exchange for two pounds, but it is in shambles now. We need to wake up from our slumber and go back to what we used to do,” he said.
In his comments, Rasheed Makinde (Ifako Ijaiye 2) said that the formation of Nigeria had been faulty since independence and that the nation’s constitution is tilted towards British constitution and that the British has changed theirs several times.
Desmond Elliot (Surulere 1) said in his contribution that the country has a little to talk about in terms of achievement in 60 years.
Ganiyu Okanlawon (Kosofe 1) stated that he visualised that Nigeria should be running at a fast pace at 60, but that it is still crawling, and that governance is epileptic.
In his views, Adedamola Kasunmu (Ikeja 2) said that a large percentage of Nigerians are youths, but that few youths have met the expectations of the people.
He then called on the president to call on the Ministry of Youths to look at national youth policy of the nation.”We need to go back to agriculture, and Lagos State deserves a special status and recognition,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, said that the people should think more of Nigeria than thinking of division, and that the current development is not what the people desired.
