Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, representing Apapa I, has been elected as the new Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. Prior to her appointment, she held the position of Deputy Speaker.
Her emergence as Speaker comes in the wake of the impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa, the former Speaker, who was removed from office due to allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of power.
In December 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was urged to investigate Obasa over claims of financial impropriety, breach of trust, and misuse of his office.
A complaint submitted by the Progressive Youth Movement in Ikeja, Lagos State, accused the former Speaker of diverting public funds using proxy companies and flouting procurement protocols.
Dated December 17, the petition highlighted that the Finance Management Committee had not convened officially since the inception of the 10th Assembly. This allegedly enabled Obasa to unilaterally make financial decisions without oversight.
The Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition also filed a separate petition, calling for the EFCC to investigate allegations of misappropriating N17 billion meant for building a gate at the Lagos State House of Assembly. This was initially reported by SaharaReporters.
The Progressive Youth Movement further alleged that Obasa awarded a N469 million contract for constructing the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat to Orgnitek Consult Limited, a company purportedly linked to his alleged corrupt practices. Additionally, the group claimed the former Speaker approved N200 million for a thanksgiving event, asserting that such an event should not have cost more than N2 million.
When reached for comments, Obasa dismissed the accusations, labeling them as baseless and politically motivated.
He stated, “Let’s be realistic. Alleging N200 million was spent on an event involving an entire institution with nearly a million members, including public attendees and children’s activities, is absurd. Considering the economic realities, is N200 million truly excessive for such a large-scale event? Even though I am not admitting to this figure, let’s assume your claim is accurate.”
Obasa also refuted allegations of awarding contracts to a company linked to him, saying, “Is the company registered in my name or that of my family members? These claims lack merit.”
Regarding the N17 billion gate construction allegations, he questioned the logic behind them. “How much is the House of Assembly’s budget allocation that I would allocate such an amount for a gate? It’s simply unreasonable,” he argued.
He concluded by saying, “As elections approach, various allegations often emerge. I am not surprised, but I am disappointed by the lack of reasonableness in these claims.”