Lagos House of Assembly screens 8 of Sanwo-Olu’s 25 nominees

Eight out of the 25 commissioner and special adviser nominees earlier forward to the Lagos State House of Assembly by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu have been screened today.

The screened nominees include Tunji Bello, who served in the capacity as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in the immediate past administration of Akinwunmi Ambode.

Bello, also a two-time commissioner for the environment under previous administrations of Bola Tinubu, and Babatunde Fashola, had shortly after Ambode handed on May 2019, lampooned his (Ambode’s) administration, describing it as “lacking soul”.

Others also screened include Gbenga Omotosho, editor of The Nation Newspaper, believed to be the longest serving editor of a national newspaper in Nigeria, and who is likely to be put in charge of the ministry of information and strategy.

Others are Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Aderemi Adebowale, Adenike Ajay-Bembe, Wale Ahmed, a former commissioner for special duties, and Akinola Abayomi

Apart from Ahmed, who is also a former member of the House of Assembly, and currently, secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, who was asked to take a bow and go, all the nominees were subjected to questioning by members of the screening committee headed by Rotimi Abiru.

Answering questions during the screening, Tunji Bello said the menace of refuse in the state was because the past administration abandoned a working refuse disposal system under LAWMA to introduce a system that could not cope with the volume of refuse generated in the state.

On his part, Gbenga Omotoso, said that the freedom of information law in the country was not working, “the implementation is not working”, he said.

According to him, when you write to ask for information there is always no response from the authorities concerned and “if you go to the code of conduct for assets declaration information of government officials they will not give you”.

At the end of the exercise, chairman of the committee expressed satisfaction with the performance of the nominees, saying they are all knowledgeable people but that the committee will report back to the house that will confirm the nominees or otherwise. The screening exercise continues on Friday..