Sunday Ani

Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday called on state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture to liaise with the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to ensure that all the vestiges of slave trade and colonial superiority were removed in the state. The House also called for the renaming of sites and monuments named after the colonial masters.

Moving the motion, the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams representing Eti-Osa Constituency 01 recalled the gruesome killing of George Floyd on Monday May 25, 2020 at Minneapolis, Minnesota United States of America by a white man named Derek Chauvin.

He said: “The House notes that the brutal and callous murder of Floyd triggered worldwide condemnations, demonstration, and protest against the continued police violence and racism against blacks in US and Europe without provocation.

“The House is aware that the protest further drew attention to the reality of systematic racism, oppression and domination of blacks by whites, in spite of the abolition of vexatious slave trade and related activities since the 18th century.

“This House is further aware that the demonstration brought about the pulling down of status of Edward Colston, a notable slave trader into a river in Bristol, London, while the British authorities removed from her museum, status of another prominent slave master, and promised a review of history pertaining to slave trade monuments and sites.”

In his contribution, the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said the intendment of the motion was not about history, since history could not be changed, but added that Africans should give backing to the blacks who are fighting for the rights of the black.

However, there was a mild drama at the Assembly during plenary yesterday, following disagreement between Obasa, and the member representing Lagos Mainland Constituency 2, Moshood Oshun.

Oshun, who sat on a seat different from the one allocated to him was asked by the Speaker to occupy the seat allocated to him.

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The lawmaker said he had earlier complained that the seat allocated to him was not convenient, but the Speaker insisted that it was either he occupied the seat allocated to him or he left the chambers.

Obasa reminded Oshun that if every member was allowed to choose where to seat, the chambers would not look good, and insisted that he should comply with the House rule or leave the chambers.

Following the directive, the lawmaker who opted to leave the chambers instead of taking up the seat allocated to him, walked out of the hallowed chambers while the legislative session was on.

Recall that the House had in March removed two of its principal officers, the Chief Whip, Rotimi Abiru, and the Deputy Majority Leader, Olumuyiwa Jimoh, and suspended Oshun, and Kazeem Raheem Adewale, representing Ibeji Lekki Constituency 2, indefinitely.

Announcing the suspension of the members, Obasa said the House, as the hope of the people and the heartbeat of democracy, should be well guided.

The two decisions were supported through voice-votes by members present during plenary. Notice and change in the leadership was contained in a letter read on the floor of the House by the Clerk, Azeez Sanni.

According to Sanni, the 26 members that signed the letter urged the House to change the leadership of the House, including Abiru as the chief whip and Jimoh as deputy chief whip.

However, the suspension of the four lawmakers had been lifted after the intervention of the party hierarchy.