LASG To Buhari: Declare June 12 Democracy Day

buhari 11

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria

Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government has charged the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari to declare June 12 Democracy Day in honour of the late politician, Moshood Kashimao Abiola, MKO.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Political and Legislative Powers Bureau, Muslim Folami, made the call at a ministerial press conference in Alausa, Lagos, southwest Nigeria on Monday.

He said there was need for the Buhari administration to declare June 12 Democracy Day rather than May 29 in view of the sacrifice Abiola made in the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria.

Folami stated that the Lagos State Government would make representation to the government of Buhari to look for a way to make June 12 Democracy Day to immortalise Abiola.

“It is not only the Lagos State Government that is crying for June 12 to be made Democracy Day, but many Nigerians because Abiola paid the supreme price for our democracy. We will talk to the government in power that this is what people are asking for. Now that our man will now be at the helm of affairs, we believe June 12 will be earmarked as Democracy Day and not May 29,” he said.

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General Muhammadu Buhari
General Muhammadu Buhari

Folami also defended the Lagos State House of Assembly for not passing the Freedom of Information, FOI bill since 2012 even when Ekiti State passed the same FOI into law two years ago under the administration of former Governor Kayode Fayemi.

He said there were due processes to be followed when passing such a crucial bill that is meant to enhance press freedom, explaining that there might be a mistake somewhere which is delaying the passage of the bill.

However, 26 bills were still pending before the Lagos State House of Assembly about a month left for the dissolution of the Assembly in June.

Some of the bills have been pending since 2012. They are Lagos State Revenue Administration Bills, 2012; Lagos State House of Assembly Budget and Legislative Research Office Bill, 2012; Freedom of Information Bill, 2012; Lagos State Sunset Agency Bill, 2013; Lagos State Health Management Agency Bill, 2014; Lagos State Properties Protection Bill, 2013; Lagos State Examinations Board Bill, 2014; Lagos State Anti-Terrorism Bill, 2012, among others.

However, Folami, while speaking on terrorism, said there was need for increased intelligence and counter-terrorism actions against terrorism in the country, saying that multi-national military cooperation and foreign military assistance were strongly advocated with disclosed parameters of engagement to secure the sovereignty of Nigeria.

He also made a case for State Police, saying there was need for it now or in the future so as to police the states effectively as federal police force was inadequate for the teeming populace.

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