Lagos Assembly orders D-G to vacate office

Hakeem Dickson

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday ordered the Director-General (D-G), Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Hakeem Dickson, to vacate office until given approval by the House.

The order followed an observation by the Chairman, House Committee on Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr Olusola Shokunle, that Dickson was occupying the position without the approval of the House.

Shokunle (PDP-Oshodi/Isolo I) told the House that Dickson had not been given approved at any time by the Assembly.

The lawmaker added that such a development was against normal practice and the law which established the commission.

He said, “This is a wrong step that should be urgently addressed by the House.’’

Supporting Shokunle’s position, Mrs Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Petitions, Human Rights and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, noted that the public was watching activities of the state government.

Tejuosho said that whoever would occupy such a public office should be given clearance by the House.

Also commenting, the House Chief Whip, Mr Rotimi Abiru, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Mr Olanrewaju Ogunyemi, urged the Assembly to request Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to send Dickson to the House for screening.

Consequently, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa directed the acting Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni, to write a letter to the commission, asking Dickson to step aside and stop parading himself as the D-G.

He said that this became necessary to allow due process.

Obasa said that the order would remain until Dickson’s clearance by the House.

According to him, the House will enquire if the commission has a legal department which ought to have advised the management on the steps to take before someone occupies the office.

Dickson was appointed into the office after the exit of its former D-G, Mr Fouad Oki.