20th August, 2015
Eromosele Ebhomele
The fight against corruption by the Nigerian government headed by President Muhammadu Buhari must be given all the necessary support it deserves, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has said.
Obasa said on Thursday that corruption had become the greatest problem Nigeria has had to contend with over the years.
He spoke during the presentation of an award to him by the Christian Coalition Against Corruption, CCAC, in his office at the Assembly complex, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
He pleaded with religious leaders in the country to complement the fight against corruption with preaching against corruption in churches and mosques.
“I thank you for honouring me with the award and the award is not for me alone, but for the entire Lagos Assembly.
“We will ensure that public and civil servants in Lagos State comply with all financial regulations to guard against corruption.
“We have procurement and finance laws in the state that guard against corruption in the state.
“We also go through the budget proposal of the state government to ensure that all areas are well provided for and we monitor the expenditure of the state government,” he said.
The speaker stressed that the reward for hardwork is more work, and promised that his the assembly would ensure that the Lagos State moves to the next level, while promising to support the coalition in all possible ways.
Earlier in his speech, the National President of CCAC, Bishop Francis Shopekan, commended Speaker Obasa for his consistency and achievements as the Chairman of the House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning in the seventh Assembly.
He said that Speaker Obasa must have impacted on his constituency before they decided to vote for him consistently.
Bishop Shopekan made it clear that there was corruption in churches and mosques and in all parts of the country, adding that his coalition has been working hard to end the vice in Nigeria.
“We believe that our heroes should be honoured, while they are alive.
“The likes of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, were not honoured in their lifetime, they were honoured after their death. But we want to honour Speaker Obasa now.”
He declared that the coalition does not discriminate against any religion and that a former commissioner for works in Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat and former Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who are Muslims, are friends of the organisation.
Speaker Obasa got awarded as an “Outstanding Leader” based on his activities at the Economic Planning and Budget Committee as well as his commitment to the service and love for the work of God.