Author: <span>Ayoola Babalola-Etti</span>

“Èdè Yorùbá ló ta gbogbo Èdè tókù yọ.” Olùdarí ilé-ìgbìmọ̀ Àṣòfin, Àṣòfin Mudashiru Ajayi obasa lo sọ bẹ́ẹ̀.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has called on residents and relevant agencies to guard against flooding as rainy season gets underway.

This call followed a motion moved on Tuesday by the member representing Epe Constituency II, Mr. Segun Olulade, on the flood that sacked residents of Poka and Imokin communities in Eredo area of Epe.

Olulade, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, while speaking on the motion, advised residents of the state to desist from disposing refuse into canals.

According to the lawmaker, “this issue of flooding is not far from building on waterways and illegal disposal of wastes. It is important for all relevant agencies to enforce all regulations to ensure protection of lives and property during this rainy season.

He also said the state Ministry of the Environment needs to redouble its efforts at ensuring functional drainages and free flow of water across the state as well as carrying out palliative measures in villages already affected by flood.

He, however, urged the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to ensure that all building constructions comply with the approved design.

Also contributing on the not, Mr. Dayo Saka-Fafunmi, Chairman, Committee on the Environment said that relevant agencies needed to visit the affected areas.

Speaker of the Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa said government should not relent on sensitizing the residents on the repercussions of blocking waterways with wastes and illegal building.

The assembly also advised the Ministry of Information and Strategy to continue sensitizing the public on the danger of blocking the drains with indiscriminate disposal of refuse.

(Credits: Temitayo Peters)

Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Ganiyu Abiru has said that members must work hard and engage their constituents for better chances of re-election.

Abiru spoke on Friday at the 5th Quarterly Staff Capacity Building and Paper Presentation titled: “The Effects of High Legislators Turnover on the Growth of Democracy,” a programme organized by the assembly.

According to the Clerk, “the legislators should be closer to their constituents; they should make sure that whatever they are doing, their constituents are aware of it.

“Most of the people in the constituency do not know what the functions of legislators are. The people are misconceiving the constitutional roles of the legislators.

“The legislators are not supposed to build roads, build hospitals and schools and others, but they are to make laws that will facilitate the establishment of these and effective running of all institutions.

“This is the first year of the 8th Lagos Assembly; they must work very hard to educate their constituents as to the functions of legislature for their re-election.

“They should go back to the people because they are here because of the people and if they fail to do that, they have failed in their constitutional responsibility.”

The clerk, who frowned at the flamboyant lifestyle of some lawmakers, said that lawmakers should not detach themselves from the people who elected them into office.

Abiru said that staff of the House had been adequately and intellectually equipped to assist lawmakers carry out their statutory responsibilities, urging the lawmakers to tap from their wealth of knowledge.

He however, called on the media to continue to educate the people on the constitutional responsibility of the legislators, stressing that there was no way democracy could thrive without support of media.

(Credit: Temitayo Peters)