The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed 300 bills and 2,000 resolutions since the return of democratic dispensation in 1999.

The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, disclosed this at a programme to commemorate 25 years of unbroken democratic governance on Wednesday in Lagos.

The programme was organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly and had the theme: Building a Brighter Future: A journey of Hope and Aspirations.

Mr Obasa said  some of the   bills and resolutions were historic.

The Speaker said many of the bills eventually became laws which  had impacted residents greatly as well as  people outside of the state.

“Particularly worthy of mention are the Financial Autonomy law, Neighbourhood Safety Agency law, Regulation Approval law, and the Local Government Administration law, which created 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAS).

“This is in addition to the existing 20 local government areas in the state for the purpose of bringing government closer to the teeming Lagosians.

“The law also created a four-year tenure for elected officials of the local government councils, making Lagos the first state in 

Nigeria to do so.

“Also, there is the Traffic Sector Reform law which created the Bus Rapid Transportation (BRT) system and the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) law.

“Our BRT law became a prototype design for many other states in Nigeria and some West African countries like Ghana and the Gambia.

“As a matter of fact, most of our laws, including our House Rules, have become models for other State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria,” he said.

The Speaker added that in the area of education, the Assembly had enacted the Lagos State University of Science and Technology law, which converted the old Lagos State Polytechnic to a full university.

He noted that one of the beauties of law was  that it would   eliminate the discrimination against polytechnic graduates in 

the labour market.

Mr Obasa explained that the Lagos State College of Education was upgraded to Lagos State University of Education through an enabling law, thereby increasing the number of universities established by the state to three.

The Speaker said  in a bid to proffer solutions to  the security challenges facing the country,  the Assembly pioneered the agitation for the creation of state police. 

He said due to constitutional constraints, an abridged form of security outfits called the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency was created to assist the police in maintaining law and order and enhance community policing in the state.

Mr Obasa recalled that the very first session of the Assembly was headed by  Oladosu Osinowo (Ikorodu Urban II constituency) between October, 1979 and September, 1983.

He said Mr Osinowo laid the foundation for the vibrancy of the House as well as the brilliant leadership for which the Assembly was revered.

The Speaker noted that at the time Mr Osinowo was Speaker, Lateef Jakande was the governor of the state and that his administration built the Assembly complex.

He said the second Lagos Legislative Assembly was headed by  Oladimeji Longe (itire-Ikate constituency) between October, 1983 and December, 1983 while Shakirudeen Kinyomi (Ojo I constituency) was the Speaker in the third Legislative Assembly. 

The speaker said the Fourth Legislative Assembly, led by Dr Olorunnibe Mamora (Kosofe I constituency), was inaugurated by the then governor of the state and now President Bola Tinubu on June 2, 1999.

“The Assembly has enjoyed relative stability in its leadership with only four Presiding Officers in 25 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.

“This has, in no doubt, enhanced innovation, competence and capacity. Mamora led the House between June 1999 to June 2003, followed by Mr Jokotola Pelumi (Epe II), who led between June 2003 and December 2005.

“Then, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji (Epe I) took the mantle and led between December 2005 and June 2015.

“In addition, I am the current and longest serving legislator and Speaker in Nigeria, I was first elected Speaker in June 2015, I was re-elected in 2019 and again returned in 2023,” he said.

The Speaker said the Assembly avowed commitment to excellence in all its ramifications had made the state the bride of all since 1999.

Mr Obasa said the Assembly had lived by its creed, reflecting positively on the constituents who had put their hopes on it as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism for prompt, fair and effective dispensation of justice. 

(NAN)