Rasaq Adebayo
While waiting for May 29 handing over of government, the cabinet members of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu have started writing their handing over notes ECHONEWS gathered.
They are doing this ahead of the formal dissolution of the cabinet by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Though the governor has not announced the dissolution of his cabinet, it is expected that he makes a formal announcement this week in preparation for the handing over of the government.
Though the changing of government on May 29 in Lagos State will be a continuation of Sanwo-Olu’s led administration having secured his second term bid; it is a tradition that the governor dissolve his cabinet and create a fresh one for his new administration.
Last week, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, dissolved the State Executive Council. The state’s cabinet was dissolved during the weekly Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.
The governor expressed appreciation to members of the council for their service to the government and people of the State.
The governor, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser in Media Project, Crusoe Osagie, said the dissolution of the council took immediate effect.
The governor also said that beginning from Wednesday, last week, all Special Assistants (SAs) and Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) have been relieved of their appointments.
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, was the first governor to dissolve his cabinet following the successful governorship election in April, 2023.
The governor had urged the various appointees in his administration to submit comprehensive handover notes before Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
This was contained in a statement dated April 11, 2023, titled: ‘Submission of handing-over notes of Ministries, Department and Agencies’, which was signed by Rabi’u Abubakar, on behalf of the office of the Secretary to the State Government.
Abubakar urged the appointees to treat as urgent the letter addressed to the offices of Principal Private Secretary Government House; The Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Government House, Gombe; The Secretary to the State Government Governor’s Office; The Clerk Gombe State House of Assembly, Gombe; Chief Registrars, High Court of Justice/Shari’a Court of Appeal; All Permanent Secretaries; All Head of Extra Ministerial Departments and Chief Executives of Boards & Parastatals.
He disclosed that the decision was taken due to the administration’s electoral victory in the last gubernatorial election, which marked the end of Yahaya’s first administration.
The statement read: “Following the recent successful conduct of the 2023 Governorship Election which marked the end of the first tenure of His Excellency the Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Dan Majen Gombe). I am directed to request you prepare a comprehensive handing-over note of your Ministry, Department, and Agency. Your submission may also include a report on ongoing projects and programmes of government.
“You are therefore requested to submit same to the office of the Secretary to the State Government on or before Wednesday 19th April 2023.
“Please, treat as urgent.”
By this time in 2019, the members of the cabinet of the former Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, had started dropping their handover notes though the government was transferred from the incumbent governor to the newly elected one.
It would be recalled that Governor Ambode handed over the power to the incoming Governor 24 hours before the inauguration day in a private meeting held at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
In a post-meeting briefing held with State House correspondents, the Governor-elect said Ambode offered him useful advice as well as state documents that contained his administration’s exploits, and achievements, among others, in the last four years.
Meanwhile, it is not yet clear who are going to make the next Sanwo-Olu cabinet, ECHONEWS gathered that some stakeholders have been lobbying for posts in his second administration.
A source close to the government told ECHONEWS that some of the outgoing cabinet members may be returned to serve in the Sanwo-Olu government.
