BY LEKE ADESERI, South West Regional Editor & OLASUNKANMI AKONI
LAGOS—THE much touted disharmony between Governor Fashola and the leadership of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Lagos State, peaked, weekend, when members of the state Assembly turned down the list of commissioners submitted by the governor for their consideration and approval.

The Assemblymen are antagonising the governor because he dropped most of the nominees from the party. Sources at the State House of Assembly told Vanguard that the ACN leadership in Lagos had earlier submitted list of some people but Fashola reportedly dropped most of them.

Some big wigs in ACN were said to be poised for a showdown with Fashola shortly after he said before the April elections and during his campaigns that he would choose the best hands as commissioners in his cabinet if returned as governor for a second term in office.
Fashola is known to be disposed to working with technocrats while the powers that be in ACN believe that party loyalists, especially those that stepped down for other candidates during the last primaries, should be compensated.

Vanguard learnt that the list submitted by the governor did not go down well with the 40 member-House of Assembly who have vowed to return the commissioners’ list to the governor today for amendment. The decision to return the list was, however, arrived at after several meetings held at different locations.

Usually reliable sources said the list excludes those that have spent two terms in the cabinet, from 2007 till date while those who were earlier tipped to make a comeback failed. The total number of the commissioners to be on the governor’s list could not be confirmed as at yesterday, but sources said they were well over 30.

According to the reports, Fashola agreed that Mrs. Olukemi Phinero, SAN, could replace the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Supo Sasore. And that Hon. Bosun Jeje could replace Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affair.

Dramatic comeback

Other names that made the list include: Lati Raji, a new face; former commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Ben Akabueze; former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; former Commissioner Science and Technology, Obafemi Hamzat; former Commissioner for Establishment, Pension and Training, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu; Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa; Oyinlomo Danmole on Central Business District; Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson; Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Project, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal.

The most dramatic comeback out of the lot is the former Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello; who headed the campaign committee for Fashola’s second term bid; former Mushin council boss, Mr. Seye Oladejo; a former state legislator, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal Ojora.

It was learnt that the sharing formula seems to be the reason for the delay of the final lists.

It will be recalled that about 125 curriculum vitaes, CVs, and representations were sent to Governor Fashola and prominent ACN members in the state for possible appointments into the state EXCO.

Last Wednesday, an entourage of the ruling party, ACN, paid a courtesy call on Governor Babatunde Fashola in what seemed to be an agenda setting meeting for his second term with a charge to build on the success recorded in his first term in office.

The ACN entourage was led by the state chairman Chief Henry Ajomale Alhaji S. Sumola, state Vice Chairmen, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Engineer Adesegun Adeseye and others.Ajomale at that meeting said “Our mission before the elections was that we wanted to ensure that we still have the control of Lagos, that is the Action Congress of Nigeria, apart from that, let me rejoice with you that you have young children now that have just been delivered, because from one, ACN now proudly has six governors, which was possible because the people saw what you demonstrated through progressive governance”,

The party urged the governor not to be too far away from the party saying;”now is the time that your service is needed most,” and assured the governor of the party’s continuous support to ensure success in his second term in office.

Responding, Fashola commended the visitors for their efficiency and hard work during the pre_electioneering campaign, saying that his victory as well as those of the members of the National and State House of Assembly was the product of the self less effort of the party and the trust the electorate have on the ACN.

“We must ensure that we make promises and we keep to them, that where promises become difficult to implement, we must go back to them, share with them the difficulties we are facing, ” he said.

THERE is a serious disagreement between the Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola and his predecessor in office, Senator Bola Tinubu, over the list of nominees for commissioners and special advisers in the state, a source has said.

The source told the Nigerian Tribune that the list, which had since been forwarded to the state House of Assembly, could be rejected if Fashola eventually refused to bow to Tinubu’s control.

According to the source, Tinubu had disagreed with Fashola on the portfolio of some of the nominees, which Fashola would not like to change as directed by his predecessor.

The source spoke on the nominee for the position of Chief of Staff, adding that while Fashola had favoured a Lagos indigene, Tinubu had preferred a non-indigene.

The position had been occupied by Lagos indigenes in the last 12 years and it was so to serve as financial buffer for Lagos indigenes who always requested for financial assistance from the governor.

“Till last weekend, Tinubu was not happy with Fashola for sending the list to the state House of Assembly without concluding with him. The instruction from Tinubu now is that the lawmakers should reject the list, pending his approval,” the source said.

The source said Tinubu also contested the nomination of one Mrs Olukemi Pinhero, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to become the next Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.

It was gathered that Fashola nominated the woman but it did not go down well with Tinubu, who also had a nominee for the position.

Besides the two positions, the Nigerian Tribune learnt that the position of the Secretary to the State Government was also in contention.

Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged contradicting the rumoured rejection of the cabinet list by the leadership of the state House of Assembly, as it was set to commence screening this week.

Also, some leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state are reported to have met behind closed doors, on Monday and warned against moves by any politician to tinker with the list presented by the governor.

The leaders, who were irked by alleged desperation by some people to change the list, advised a former commissioner in the state (name withheld) to desist from mounting pressure on the national leader of the parrty, Senator Tinubu, to change the choice of a nominee.

A member of the House, who pleaded anonymity, said the responsibility of the legislature was not to reject names of nominees from the executive based on primordial sentiment, but to screen and approve or reject them on their merit.

After a meeting held at an undisclosed venue in Lagos, on Monday, one of the party leaders said it was their view that any attempt by anyone or group of persons to move against the list presented by the governor was a direct confrontation against the party leadership.

The screening of cabinet nominees sent to the Lagos State House of Assembly has suffered a setback as the exercise could not begin today as speculated.
This is because the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and some other key officers of the legislature have travelled to Ghana in company of the party leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is scheduled to receive an award in the West African country tomorrow.
The list of the 37 cabinet nominees was sent to the House of Assembly by the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, last Friday evening.
As P.MN.EWS learnt today, the House will resume on 4 July to consider the names on the list, already generating some controversy.
A few members of the Lagos State House of Assembly who were around told P.M.NEWS this morning that the party leadership led by Asiwaju Tinubu held a meeting with Governor Fashola last weekend to amend the list of nominees, to comply with the wishes and expectations of members of the Action Congress Party of Nigeria.
The lawmakers hinted that when the House eventually sit to consider the list, it might be sent back to the governor to reflect the amendments the party leadership discussed with him.
The lawmakers noted that the whole of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government area, has no nominee in the list the governor sent to the State House of Assembly.
Names recommended by the party but which are missing on the governor’s list include those of Babatunde Ogala, who stepped down for the speaker to run from Ikeja Constituency; Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye, the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Mrs. Kemi Nelson who was Commissioner for Women Affairs under Asiwaju Tinubu’s administration; Mr. Segun Ayobolu, a special adviser to Fashola on information and strategy until he resigned on health grounds last year and Toun Adediran, former deputy speaker of the house.
P.M.NEWS learnt that the Assembly has sent the list back to the governor to address the issue of missing names of partymen and the “strange names” appearing on the list.
The names of nominees who made the list include: former commissioners in the last cabinet, Ben Akabueze for Budget and Economic Planning; Dr. Jide Idris, formerly of the Health Ministry; Prince Segun Oniru, formerly of the Housing Ministry and their counterpart Dr. Obafemi Hamzat formerly of the Science and Technology Ministry and Tunji Bello, the Managing Director of the Lagos State Signage company and the State Commissioner for the Environment from 2003 to 2007. Former advisers who made the list are: Oyinlomo Danmole, Jimoh Ajao, Ade Ipaye, Ganiyu Johnson, and Kayode Opeifa.
The fresh nominees are: former Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State who defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, before the last election, Dr. Wale Ahmed, Adetokunbo Abiru, Olutoyin Ayinde, Dolapo Badru, Oladiran Folami and Ayo Gbeleyi.
Other fresh nominees include: Oladiran Disun Holloway, Babatunde Hunpe, Aderemi Ibirogba, Bosun Jeje, Gbolahan Lawal, Adebiyi Mabadeje, Cornelius Ojelabi, Seye Oladejo, Fatai Olukoga, Enitan Salvador, Abimbola Sodipo and Taofik Tijani.
The women nominees on the list are: Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, a lecturer at the Lagos State University, LASU; Mrs. Adesina Yewande; Mrs. Aderinola Disu; Mrs. Florence Oguntuase, Mrs. Oladunjoye Olayinka and Mrs. Senakpon Oworu.
—Eromosele Ebhomele