Probe Of Speaker:Invitees ,Organizations Shun Lagos Assembly Invitation

The people and organisations invited yesterday by the Lagos State House of Assembly to appear before a panel probing allegations against Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, failed to show up.

Among them are Sahara Reporters and Mr. Babajide Otitoju of Television Continental (TVC), who accused the Speaker of financial misconduct

Others included on the list of invitees to defend their allegations are: Mr. Bayo Oluwasanmi, Budgit, Concerned Nigerians, Adeola Fayehun of Keeping It Real, The Independent Diaspora Nigerians Against Corruption and Human and Environmental Development Agenda.

The ad-hoc committee session with those invited was slated to begin by 10am, but after waiting till 1:30pm without anyone of them appearing, the chairman called off the meeting till today.

Addressing reporters and other members of the ad-hoc committee raised by the House on the matter, the Chairman of the committee, Mr. Victor Akande, said that the committee was constituted for a fact-finding mission on the allegations levelled against Speaker Obasa so that the invited groups and persons could substantiate their allegations.

Members of the committee include: Rotimi Olowo, Shomolu 1; Gbolahan Yishawu, Eti Osa 2 and Yinka Ogundimu, Agege 2.


Others are Lukmon Olumoh, Ajeromi/Ifelodun 1; Ajani Owolabi, Lagos Mainland 1 and Mojisola Alli Macaulay, Amuwo Odofin 1.

The committee chairman said: “We still have tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday for the petitioners to come around before we report our findings to the House.”

Asked if setting up the committee was the proper thing to do, Akande said: “It is an allegation, we cannot just go to court. We have to find out the facts and figures and have something to work on. It is not just against the Speaker.

“The House once investigated an issue against the former governor. We must build something on something for us to have a cause of action.”

Asked if the parties acknowledged receipt of the invitation, Akande said SaharaReporters, which he said is the most important party in the matter, received and acknowledged the receipt of the invite of the House through their email address.

He added that most of the invitees did not have permanent addresses, and that the House sent invitations to them through their email addresses and the means they used to make their allegations against the Speaker.