Position Of Special Advisers To Lagos State Governor

For the position of Special Advisers, the Governor submitted the following names:
1. Hon. Paul Kalejaiye
2. Mr. Jimoh Ajao
3. Mr. Sesan Olarenwaju
4. Mr. Femi Adebanjo
5. Mr. Kayode Opeifa
6. Dr. Elijah Olu-Adewale
7. Dr. Dolapo Badru
8. Engr. Ganiyu Johnson
9. Hon. Toyin Hamzat
10. Hon. Olalekan Ifemade
11. Mr. Ademola Kuye
12. Mrs. Olusola Oworu
13. Mr. Ade Ipaye
14. Mr. Afolabi Kofo Abayomi
15. Hon. M.A. Abdulateef
16. Hon. Oyin Danmole
17. Mr. Akinsanya Sunny Ajose
In the letter to the House titled “Nominees for Appointment”, the Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola said:
“In making

the nominations, I have taken into consideration the provisions of Section 14(4) of the Constitution which obliges me to recognise the diverse interests of the people of Lagos State.
In addition to the forgoing, all the nominees are committed to our vision of good governance through the implementation of our Party manifesto, the Ten-Point Agenda and the achievement of the millennium development goals.

In addition to the foregoing, I also request, pursuant to section 196 (10) of the Constitution, that the House of Assembly approve 19 (nineteen) Special Advisers to assist me in performance of my functions.

These appointments have become necessary in order to make our Government more effective and strengthen the service delivery capacity of our administration.”

The House commenced the Screening of the nominee immediately. The first batch was screened on the 2nd July, 2007. The first nominee to face the Committee of the Whole House was Mr. Bolaji Abosede. The House asked him to introduce himself in three minutes. Abosede told the House that he was born on 17th May, 1950 into the Abosede Jakande family of Okepopo. He attended Holy Cross School, Lagos; St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos; The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Glasgow School of Arts, Scotland, now Centre for Urban and Regional Planning Studies, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, England.
He said he became a Chartered Town Planner in 1980. He also said he had been involved in the Master Plan for 18 towns in Northern Nigeria; planning of a housing estate in Abuja; Lekki Trade Zone. He concluded by saying he had been the Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning in Lagos State. He said:
“I have also been involved in the last twelve months as an Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning where we have to restructure Lagos and make it into a model Mega City.”
The Speaker advised the nominee to jot down all the questions from the members of the House and

answer them together. The first person to throw a question to the nominee was Democrat A.O. Adelabu (Alimosho I). He noted that the State had not achieved much in the last four years in terms of realising a better city, and asked the nominee what he would do ensure the arrival of a new Lagos if he was returned as a commissioner in the same ministry. The next question was from Dr. A.J. Adeyeye (Kosofe II) who asked, “If you are reassigned to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, considering the urgent need for restructuring of the physical environment in Lagos, what planning process will you put in place and how will you execute it?” Another member Hon. W. Alawiye-King (Lagos Island I) asked: “You are quite aware of the spate of building collapse in the State. If you are reassigned to the same ministry, how are you going to confront this problem?” The next question came from Hon. S.O. Adeola. He wanted to know what hindrances there were that were militating against stopping building collapse in the state in spite of the laws that have been made in respect of physical planning and urban development. Another question asked by Prince H.B. Akinloye wanted to know what the nominee would do to stop the indiscriminate construction of petrol stations without approvals. And lastly, Barr. B. Ogala (Ikeja I) asked the nominee what he was going to do to stop the springing up of eateries and events centres on major highways, which have no parking facilities thereby constituting a great nuisance to free flow of traffic.
In his response, the nominee, Mr. Abosede Frnacisco Bolaji, took up the observation made by Democrat Adelabu to the effect that the Ministry under him had not achieved much. He said:
“I want to say and I think Hon. Members would agree ... with me on some of the issues that where we were in April 2006 is not where we are today. We have since moved ahead to do major restructuring which is being acclaimed at the international level. One of it is the setting up of the Victoria Island/Ikoyi Model Mega City that has been launched and it is in practice. There are several problems which have been raised that we have gone ahead to address.”