Lagos Lawmakers Asks Sanwo-Olu To Withdraw Appointment Letters To Appointees

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday asked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct withdrawal of appointment letters issued to political appointees who have not undergone the constitutionally mandated confirmation process by the legislature. .. Read ..Full.. Article..

The resolution followed a motion titled “Need for Government Appointees to Appear Before the House for Confirmation”, raised on the floor of the House during plenary.

Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, expressed deep concern over the practice.

He blamed the Head of Service for issuing appointment letters without recourse to the House, in violation of constitutional provisions and extant laws.

Obasa noted that such actions amount to “testing the powers of the House,” and cannot be be tolerated.

The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to forward the resolution to the governor, adding that the Head of Service would be summoned to appear before the Assembly to explain the breaches.

Lawmakers who spoke in support of the motion cited Sections 126 and 198 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which require certain public officials to be screened and confirmed by the legislature before assuming office.

Deputy Chief Whip, Setonji David, said the Executive’s failure to seek legislative confirmation undermines the principle of separation of powers and threatens transparency in governance.

Desmond Elliot called the development an insult to the authority of the Assembly, stressing that no individual or institution should operate outside the framework of the law.

Similarly, Sa’ad Olumoh decried the existence of agencies and parastatals operating without legal backing, warning that Lagos must not allow lawlessness to take root in its governance structures.

Stephen Ogundipe reminded the House that confirmation is not a mere formality, but a critical process to ensure that public office is occupied by individuals of integrity and competence.

Kehinde Joseph called for sanctions against repeated constitutional violations, insisting that any public officer who has assumed office or expended public funds without due confirmation must be held accountable. He suggested that such funds be refunded.

In his remarks, Rasheed Shabi said many appointees no longer respect the authority of the House.

He noted that continued issuance of appointment letters without legislative confirmation is a slap on the constitutional powers of the legislature.

This development comes just months after Speaker Obasa was briefly removed from office by his colleagues amid allegations of misconduct and political tension with the governor.

He was reinstated 49 days later following intervention by powerful figures in the ruling All Progressives Congress, and..  Read . .More