Lagos State Government has disclosed that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is not running a one-man show, saying that the governor only spent 39 days out of the constitutional time frame of 60 days.
The state government stated this while responding to the claim of a senior lawyer, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), who stated that Sanwo-Olu is running a one-man show, having failed to constitute his cabinet since May 29 when he was sworn in for the second term.
Speaking through the Chief Press Secretary to Lagos Governor, Mr Gboyega Akosile, in a statement made available to TheIdeal News on Friday, the State Government reminded Adegboruwa that the wheel of governance is moving smoothly in Lagos with or without cabinet members.
The statement reads in part, “ Our attention has been drawn to an unsolicited counsel from Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa (SAN) alleging that the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is running a one-man show, simply because he has not constituted his cabinet yet since he resumed office for the second term.
“For the avoidance of doubt, 1999 Constitution (as amended) is very clear about the number of days required for a State Governor to send his nominees for various cabinet offices to the State House of Assembly for legislative approval.
“According to the fifth alteration (No. 23), the bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to require the President and Governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within 60 days of taking the Oath of Office for confirmation by the Senate or State Houses of Assembly; and for related matters.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu has only spent 39 days in the office and therefore, has not flouted any law.
“Secondly, we must remind Mr. Adegboruwa, that Lagos remains a model State, where governance issues are taken very seriously and as such, his comparison of the State with other States he used in his submission is laughable.
“We also need to remind the erudite lawyer that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke was sworn into the office in November, 2022, making it more than seven months before he sent his Cabinet nominees to the Osun State House of Assembly.
“We must also enlighten Mr. Adegboruwa, that with or without the Cabinet members at the moment, the wheel of governance is moving progressively in Lagos.
“The Permanent Secretaries are fully in charge as the Chief Accounting Officers of their individual Ministries and they are working tirelessly with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in conjunction with the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor as well as the Head of Service, to achieve the administration’s vision of a Greater Lagos Rising anchored on the THEMES+ agenda.”
