A tumultuous moment was narrowly avoided in the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, as the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, diffused a situation that could have led to the removal of Alimosho Local Government Chairman, Jelili Suleimon.
The eventful day began when some lawmakers proposed that the chairman be dismissed or suspended for persistently refusing to comply with the House’s resolutions regarding toll collection in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Alimosho.
The incident that sparked this chain of events dates back to April 16th, 2024, when violence erupted in Iyana-Ipaja over the controversial replacement of Abiodun Ejigbadero, who was allegedly removed from his revenue collection duties by the Alimosho Local Government Chairman, Jelili Suleimon.
Echonews reports that this action resulted in a tragic death and raised serious questions about the council chairman’s actions.
After a thorough investigation spanning two months, led by Mr. Sa’ad Olumoh, the Lagos State House of Assembly conducted extensive interviews with all relevant parties involved in the matter. The painstaking investigation unearthed critical evidence that revealed the legitimacy of Ejigbadero’s claims, as he was able to provide the required documents to support his case.
The House, after considering the evidence, then issued a directive to Jelili Suleimon to immediately reinstate Ejigbadero to his position.
The unexpected twist in the saga came when the Lagos State House of Assembly received an astonishing letter from the secretary to the Alimosho Local Government council, Dare Ogunkoya, on behalf of the Chairman, Jelili Suleimon, stating that the chairman would not comply with the resolutions of the House regarding the matter.
This startling letter was read aloud by the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, where it was revealed that Jelili was unwilling to act upon the House’s directives due to “contentious” reasons, causing an uproar in the chamber.
Reacting to the letter, Mr. Sanni Okanlawon, who chaired the committee that investigated the crisis, described Jelili as a stubborn chairman who would go any length to debase the House.
He recalled that in resolving the matter, the committee invited all the stakeholders including Jelili, who the committee discovered to be the cause of the mayhem.
Okanlawon said while Jelili could not provide any documents, Ejigbadero produced all documents to prove his position as toll collector in the place.
According to Okanlawon, Jelili had remained “defiant and, to say the least, this is an affront against the House that had resolved the issue.”
He urged the House to invoke the right section of the law against the council chairman as a deterrent.
In his contribution, Majority Leader Noheem Adams, said the letter by Ogunkoya undermines the authority of the House which sought peace in the affected area.
Deputy Majority Leader Adedamola Kasunmu told his colleagues, “I can attest to his (Jelili’s) stubbornness. He has shown incompetence and irresponsibility. For us to avert further loss of lives, it is good that he is either immediately removed or suspended.”
In their individual contributions, the two lawmakers from Alimosho, Mr. Kehinde Joseph and Luqman Orelope, pleaded with the House for leniency on the council chairman.
The duo expressed surprise that the council could disobey the House in such a manner, while Joseph urged that the chairman could be suspended instead of an outright removal.
While noting all the contributions, Dr. Obasa wondered why Alimosho is always enmeshed in crises adding that the resolution by the House was to ensure peace in the community.
Pacifying the lawmakers, Dr. Obasa said the chairman should be given the benefit of doubt since the letter was not directly written by him and, as such, he could claim ignorance.
He, therefore, directed the Clerk to resend the resolutions of the House to the council chairman, the Local Government Service Commission and other top officials of the Alimosho Local Government council.