Massive protest in Lagos over Gov Sanwo Olu's 8 Muslims, 31 Christians cabinet list
- Governor Babajide Snawo-Olu has been critiqued and accused of insensitivity after releasing his 39-man commissioner-nominee list
- It was gathered that Governor Sanwo-Olu's cabinet list contained just eight Muslims and 31 Christians, a move that did not go down well with the Islamic community in Lagos
- This development sparked a mass protest on Wednesday, August 16, by Islamic leaders led by Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi
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Lagos, Ikeja - Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has suffered a backlash over releasing his 39-man commissioner-nominee, which contained eight Muslims and 31 Christians, a move that did not go down well with the Islamic community in Lagos State.
According to Daily Trust, leaders of the Lagos State's Islamic community trooped out in their numbers to stage a protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday, July 16, urging the lawmakers to review and reject the list.
Source: Facebook
It was gathered that a similar protest had been staged 48 hours earlier but was ignored by the Lagos State government and the parliament.
However, Wednesday's protest at the Lagos State Parliament was led by the president of the Muslim community in Lagos State, Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi.
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In a petition brought before the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was accused of neglecting the Muslims in his appointments and sidelining them from top political positions in the state.
The petition reads:
“This is not a new development, especially since Governor Sanwo-Olu assumed leadership of this State, as a matter of fact, it is has been elevated to a level of official state policy to deny Muslims their deserved positions under the Sanwo-Olu administration.
“For instance, in 2019, when Mr. Sanwo-Olu became governor, he appointed 14 Special Advisers, and only one (1) among them was a Muslim. Again, his State Executive Council, which had 43 members, only 14 were Muslims, and the remaining 29 were Christians. Also, of the 23 commissioners, 10 were Muslims and 13 of them Christians. Only 15 Muslims, with 35 Christians, made up the body of 50 Permanent Secretaries in his first term. These are just a few among numerous ways in which the Sanwo-Olu administration deny Muslims in this state their rightful place and number in leadership.”
How Sanwo-Olu violated Nigeria's constitutional rule
Governor Sanwo-Olu was accused of violating the statutory provision of Section 14(4) and Section 192(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The sections say:
“The composition of the Government of a State, a local government council, or any of the agencies of such Government or council, and the conduct of the affairs of the Government or council or such agencies shall be carried out in such manner as to recognise the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the peoples of the Federation.”
“192(2) Any appointment to the office of Commissioner of the Government of a State shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the House of Assembly of the State, be made by the Governor of that State and in making any such appointment the Governor shall conform with the provisions of section 14(4) of this Constitution.”
Gbadamosi urged the Lagos State Parliament to intervene by rejecting the list and demanding a review to create balance and inclusivity in the governor's appointment list.
They urged Governor Sawo-Olu to respect the diversity of the state's population and give room for the representation of Muslims in his government.
Sanwo-Olu sacks principal officer, suspend others over doctor's death
In another development, the Lagos State government has announced the sacking and blacklisting of the facility managers in charge of the crashed elevator that case the death of Dr Diaso Vwaere.
In a statement signed on Sunday, Olumide Sogunle, the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Information and Strategy, said the state had suspended the GM of LASIMRA.
The statement further revealed that the hospital's management had been restructured, which now directly included the hospital's management.
Source: Legit.ng
