Fashola Bans Misuse Of Lagos Seal

As part of efforts to guard against the misuse of the Lagos State government seal for fraudulent activities, Governor Babatunde Fashola has signed into law a bill banning the use of the state's seal of authority without approval.
Before signing the bill into law, Fashola emphasized that the purpose of the law was to ensure that the seal is not misused or used in any manner that will tarnish the name of the state.

According to him, "This bill is meant to regulate the seal of Lagos State which has become a much-sought-after brand not just locally, but also internationally, and it is important that as we build on the Lagos brand, we must control and ensure that its use is not brought to any disrepute or used in any manner that would embarrass or threaten the common brand and the common patrimony that the seal represents for the people of this state".
Fashola noted that the seal, which according to him contains the symbol of the authority of Lagos State, has been in existence since the state was created in May 1967.

“when the state was created on May 24, 1967, the state went ahead to design this symbol of authority which was well received by the public, so much so that Governor Mobolaji Johnson, in his letter dated December 28, 1967 and addressed to Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, a member of the committee on the symbol, commended him on the artistic design and the interpretations ascribed to the features as being a true reflection of the characteristics of the people of Lagos State", the Governor said.

"It is therefore, appropriate and timely to ensure that its uniformity in appearance is maintained and its respect and dignity are upheld by the passage of an appropriate legislation to protect what for us is a very worthy legacy of heritage". He noted that each of the features that make up the seal has a colour code applicable to it, which has been set out in the law, adding that the purpose was to ensure that nobody uses any other colour to represent any of the features.
According to the governor, "this is essentially a law to protect the brand of the seal of the government of Lagos State, pointing out that a lot of devices currently displayed as the seal of the government of Lagos State does not conform to the actual symbols and the colours in the seal," he added.
He said there are also uses to which the seal has been put into, especially at events, to suggest that the state government is participating, but most times the government does not have any information about the event at all. People use the seal with no prior information or authorization sought for and obtained through the government.