L-R: Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju; Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade; Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bolanle Lateefat Ajayi; new Speaker, Oludaisi Elemide; Deputy Governor, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele; SSG, Mr Tokunbo Talabi; Deputy Chief of Staff, Toyin Taiwo; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiu Hamzat; Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff and Hon. Waliu Owode…during the visit
By Nudoiba Ojen
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has congratulated the new Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide and other lawmakers for ensuring a rancour free process.
Prince Abiodun commended the seamless manner in which the lawmakers elected the new speaker, reaffirming that the lawmakers had the right to decide who would lead them in a democracy.
The governor, represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, spoke when he received 19 members of the House who accompanied the new speaker on a courtesy call on him on Tuesday in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He said, “It is worthy of note that the Executive has not interfered in the process to make sure that you are comfortable in what you want to do, that led you to making your decision. And we support you in the decision that you make.
“You have gone through the process in a way that is exemplary. This is not the first time in this country that members of a particular legislature have decided to change their leader.”
He emphasized that the executive arm will continue to adhere strictly to the concept of Separation of Power and the rule of law in its relationship with the House of Assembly.
The governor pledged that his administration would support and work closely with the legislature to maintain the harmonious relationship that has existed in the last four and a half years.
In his remarks, the new speaker, Elemide, said the House would continue to complement the Executive and avoid the unnecessary mudslinging that could hinder the progress of the state.
The Speaker said, “We are not going to fight, neither are we going to compromise the Executive. In the Legislature, there is room for lobbying. We will lobby where we need to lobby, we will assert where we need to assert, and we will let the whole people of the state know that we are there for them.
“To my colleagues, I would not want to betray their confidence that they have in me. It is going to be we and not I. I am just the first among equals and we were voted in from our various constituencies. I will take cognisant that we are equal.
“I will be there to speak for them, and I will speak whatever they put in my mouth,” Elemide said.
