Pro-Ambode Protesters Ask Lagos Lawmakers to Account for N28bn

Hundreds of protesters  on Wednesday gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly, asking the lawmakers to account for N28 billion constituency allowances they collected between 2015 and 2018 or face mass action.

Besides protesters’ call for explanation, sources alleged that the lawmakers had demand the sum of N100 million from the State Executive Council to facilitate the presentation and passage of 2019 appropriation bill.

The protesters made the call under the aegis of Lagos Peoples Assembly (LPA) yesterday, warning the lawmakers against plan to initiate impeachment proceedings against the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

The lawmakers had at a plenary last Monday alleged that the governor had started implementing the 2019 Appropriation Bill without presenting it formally to the assembly, which they claimed violated Sections 120 and 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Contrary to the claims of the lawmakers, the governor sent the 2019 Appropriation Bill and virement to the assembly on December 22, 2018, with a cover note, requesting to present the 2019 budget on December 28.

But the assembly turned down Ambode’s request on the ground that the lawmakers were on recess. Aside, the assembly had frustrated subsequent attempts by the governor to formally present the 2019 budget.

Specifically, the assembly agreed that the governor would present the Appropriation Bill on January 21. But the lawmakers did not attend to the governor on the day the budget was scheduled for public presentation.

The protesters, who displayed placards of diverse messages of grievance, claimed that the decision of the state assembly was basically to witch-hunt the governor, who according to them, had within the last three years achieved more than any other governor in the country.

Their placards reads: ‘He is a performing governor, we reject impeachment; Lagos APC should be careful, election is around the corner; Lagosians love Ambode for his good works; We say no to impeachment of the governor, and enough of this intimidation of Ambode’.

According to the protesters, they are asking the lawmakers to account for N28 billion constituency allowances they collected between June 2015 and December 31, 2018. The assembly received the sum of N500 million monthly without accounting for it.

 

In a letter of protest signed by Mr. Declan Ihekaire, the protesters stressed that they were concerns by the actions of the lawmakers against a governor that has considered the plights of residents as priority.

The letter said the legislative and the executive arms “are partners in business of governance. They must work seamlessly for the development of the state. Our credible investigation revealed that both arms of the government are worried that the budget delay will invariably affect the ability of the government to complete various infrastructural projects commenced by the administration littering the state.

“The fear of both parties which is well founded is that opposition would make case of the uncompleted projects as campaign items to disparage the ruling party in the forthcoming general election. No matter whatever other hidden factors, this is the main bone of contention leading to the political feud for supremacy between the governor and the assembly.

“The ongoing impasse, if not ended urgently, will act as setback for Lagos and could become another campaign slogan ahead of the forthcoming election. As far as we are concerned, if the two tiers of government are determined to ensure that the welfare of the people is the supreme law of governance, then it should be convenient to find a common ground to resolve any ensuing misunderstanding.

“However, if this impasse is allowed to fester into huge political conflagration, the state and the residents would be the victims of such conflict. Besides, the fact that general election is fast approaching, mischievous detractors of both sides would not hesitate to gain maximum personal aggrandisement from the conflict.

“The friction between the two arms has potential to disrupt the state tradition of seamless transition of power. It can also undermine its social and economic geometric pace of development. We therefore on behalf of the good people of the state, call on both the governor and the assembly to shield their swords and concentrate on the dire need to complete all the ongoing infrastructural projects in the state.”

The protesters in the letter further stated that “the peace, sustainable development of Lagos and welfare of Lagosians should be the primary, sole and fundamental concern of both elected arms as well as officers of the state.”

After the protest,  sources accused the lawmakers of witch-hunting the governor, alleging that they had demanded N100 million from him to facilitate the presentation and passage of 2019 Appropriation Bill.

One of the sources, who spoke with journalists in confidence, alleged that after demanding N100 million, the lawmakers had also asked the governor to release public funds for their re-election campaigns.

According to the group, the lawmakers are witch-hunting the governor despite conceding defeat after the party’s primaries. He has done everything to please some leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Yet, they are coming up with fictitious allegations against him.

 

In his response to the protesters yesterday, the Majority Leader of the assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, said their opinion would be deliberated upon on the floor of the assembly because the lawmakers were elected by the people.

Agunbiade, who led three other lawmakers to receive the protesters, said there was never any face-off between the executive led by the governor and lawmakers, saying, we are only doing our responsibility as stipulated in 1999 constitution.