Last week Thursday’s show of shame by the former speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, when he forcefully took over the premises of the state’s legislative chamber, is to say the least troubling.
Obasa’s conduct last Thursday was the culmination of his melodramatic reactions so far, to a development that is simply a vote of no confidence in him by the very same members of the Assembly he has presided over for 10 years as the longest serving speaker in the state.
On 13 January, Mr Obasa was impeached by a two-thirds majority of the House members while he was on holiday in the United States.
He was impeached following a motion moved under the Matter of Urgent Public Importance by Femi Saheed.
Saheed, in line with provision of section 92(2) (C) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, accused Obasa of gross misconduct and poor leadership, which included perpetual lateness to legislative sessions and meetings; high-handedness and lack of regard of members; gross abuse of office and privileges; intimidation and oppression of members by inciting them against one another amongst others.
He mentioned that Obasa also practices an authoritarian and undemocratic leadership style in discharging his duties.
Meanwhile, his sack is believed not to have gone down well with leaders of the party. For over one month, uncertainty hovered over the political space in Lagos as speculation became rife that President Bola Tinubu was opposed to his impeachment. The Governor of the state Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, whom the impeached speaker had on several occasions openly treated with ignominy, had received the new speaker, Mojisola Meranda in his office.
While speculation continued as to the possible way out of what still remains a political puzzle, it was reported that by Wednesday that a meeting had been held by party leaders and stakeholders to the effect that the new speaker would resign for the former speaker to return.
And as though to give impetus to the so-called agreement of Meranda’s resignation and Obasa’s return, the security details of the former were withdrawn, while that of the latter were reinstated.
Bolstered with the outcome of the rumoured resolution of the crisis, Obasa who had rejected his removal and immediately headed to court on February 12, to seek redress saying his sack did not follow the procedures of the legislative assembly, stormed the premises of the state Assembly with a coterie of politicians, security personnel and thugs to resume office and later presided over a plenary attended by four other members, as though nothing ever happened.
He did not mince words as he told everyone around that he had resumed normal legislative sessions as a speaker.
He moved around and conducted himself in a manner that clearly showed that whoever was beating the drums to which he was dancing, clearly has divine authority and power.
And as if to make a mockery of our collective sensibilities, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, offered a lame excuse for withdrawing Meranda’s security men.
He explained that the withdrawal was a routine regular audit of all policemen attached to VIPs in the state.
He also claimed that it was not only Meranda’s security aides who were withdrawn, adding that those of other VIPs were also withdrawn during the audit.
CP Jimoh also insisted that the audit is not peculiar to the Lagos State Police Command, adding that it also happened in other states of the country.
He said, “Lagos with a population of about 20 million persons has 18,000 police personnel. This is grossly inadequate for a state like Lagos which is the centre of excellence.
“The audit will help us to know those on illegal duty, those who are where they are not supposed to be. Once the audit is completed, we start to reassign them to Divisions and Post to help in policing the state effectively.”
Meanwhile, while the so-called audit was going on and all the policemen attached to the number three citizen of the state were withdrawn, the former speaker had his full complement of security men before storming the state assembly the same day.
Hearing the commissioner of police talking about the population of policemen and those attached to VIPs, you would be tempted into thinking that he is sincere or saying something new, as though he has the power to do anything about it.
We are told that the speaker is entitled to 12 policemen, four DSS and two anti-bribery officers. If the speaker of the state assembly is entitled to 18 security men, how many then are the governors, ministers, speaker of the House of Representatives, senate president and president entitled to?
Later that same day, the police claimed that Meranda’s security men had been restored. But the speaker said only four policemen have been sent to her. Are these four supposed to be her security aides as speaker or as deputy speaker, a position she held before Obasa’s impeachment?
So much for security aides, that was simply a digression.
Obasa and all those prodding him must realise that the only option open to him if they still want Lagos to be seen as the centre of excellence is for him to accept this reality and move on. For about 10 years, Obasa was the speaker. This is by far beyond his wildest dreams. He should in his quiet time do a deep reflection and ask himself how he got this far and into such a high-profile office.
The worst thing that can happen to any man is not knowing when to call it quits.
Obviously, Obasa allowed his fortunate success to go to his head and literally lost his head. He spoke like a man who had forgotten his humble beginnings.
He even boasted openly that all the former governors of the state were not better than him. Forgetting that President Tinubu, on whom he now places his hope of returning to office, was also a former governor of the state.
He treated Gov Sanwo-Olu as a primary school pupil and never hesitated to let him know that they are the ones that run things in the state.
Is it therefore surprising that his colleagues accused him of highhandedness? His disregard for his colleagues was his greatest undoing and to have attracted such an overwhelming majority against him is a clear testimony to the fact that his time in office as speaker is long gone. He should face this reality and move on.
It’s irrelevant whether his impeachment was carried out during his vacation or not or whether it happened while he was on duty, what this total rejection suggests is that he has lost the confidence of colleagues. He is only first among equals.
This is a clear vote of no confidence in him. That’s what this is all about.
For those prodding him perhaps for political reasons, since it’s claimed that he is a grassroots mobiliser, whatever that means, can there not be other propositions for him, must he be speaker for life?
Obasa’s highhandedness took the better part of him so much so that he chased away journalists covering the Assembly for two years. The same journalists he treated like street urchins he was quick to invite to Ikeja in Lagos after his return to the country to speak with. The same journalists he now spoke to after his despicable conduct at the Assembly premises last Thursday.
But for the fact that our brand of democracy is always throwing up the worst among us as leaders, what was Obasa’s background before he became a legislator, to make him treat these journalists with such disdain?
It was the late Sage, Chinua Achebe, in his novel “Things Fall Apart,” who admonished that; “Those whose palm kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.”
Obasa did not heed this admonition and allowed his status and the privilege of enjoying the favour of those who matter in the party to get the better of him.
