30th November, 2012
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday disagreed over attire to be won by members on Thursdays. .
The House had made it a rule since the sixth Assembly was inaugurated to conduct proceedings on Thursdays in Yoruba Language.
They also agreed that lawmakers should wear native attires to the House.
Drama, however, began on the floor of the House yesterday when a member of the House, Bashir Oloto, who was clad in a dark suit with a coloured tie to match, wanted to contribute to the bill seeking to bar Lagos residents from smoking in public.
Immediately he made to speak, his colleague, Mufutau Egberongbe, made an observation on Oloto’s dressing and asked that he should not be allowed to speak because he was not properly dressed.
Egberongbe was supported by another lawmaker, Moshood Oshun, who said the issue of dress code for Thursdays had become a convention that must be obeyed.
Oshun reminded the lawmakers that such an incident happened in the past in which the affected lawmakers were not allowed to participate in the deliberations of the House.
Chief Whip of the House, Dr. Razak Balogun, quoted some sections of the House Rules and argued that there was no rule barring members from wearing western dress on Thursdays, stressing that the House Rule only asked members to dress properly.
Though the Deputy Speaker, Taiwo Kolawole, who presided over the sitting, pleaded with the lawmakers to pardon Oloto, his plea fell on deaf ears as another lawmaker, Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, said if he was forgiven, it would become a term of reference in the future.
“If this happens and I decide to dress in a western attire next Thursday, nobody should ask me not to talk,” she told the House.
On his part, Leader of the House, Dr. Ajibayo Adeyeye, told his colleagues: “The constitution of Nigeria is contained in a small book, but when lawyers handle issues in court, you will realise that there are several other laws not in the book.
“Also, if we all agree on something, we should abide with it. It must be obeyed.”
The lawmakers said they could only allow Oloto to remain in the chamber without making any contribution.
As a result of this, Oloto stayed and did not contribute till the end of the sitting.
—Eromosele Ebhomele