Mr. Ikuforiji should step down now as Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly

Mr. Ikuforiji should step down now as Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly

The conspiracy of silence over the money laundering trial of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA), Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji is disturbing and unfortunate. It amount to immorality and flagrant rape of democratic norm for Mr. Ikuforiji to continue to pretend to be offering credible and legitimate leadership to the people of Lagos State as Speaker of the House of Assembly. With a corruption case bordering on abuse of office of the Speaker, Mr. Ikuforiji has a big burden that has cast serious aspersion on his honour, reputation and privilege and therefore his continued stay in that office constitute serious stain on the integrity of the legislative assembly and government of Lagos State in general.

It has become inappropriate for Mr. Ikuforiji to remain as Speaker of legislative assembly based on the principle of rule of law. It is important to assert that Mr. Ikuforiji cannot, in good conscience, exercise his duty creditably and to the best satisfaction of the people of Lagos state considering the negative public perception which continue to cast serious doubt on his personality as the number three citizen of our dear Centre of Excellence. It is an unambiguous fact that Mr. Ikuforiji is no longer fit to preside over the affairs of legislative arm of government until he totally dispensed with the on-going trial on money laundering.

It is also regrettable that respected social critics and acclaimed defenders of rule of law as well as pro-democracy activists have chosen to maintain deafening silence over this very crucial matter that borders on rule of law and which calls to question, the image of Lagos State as the bastion of civilized and democratic norm.

It should recalled that Hon. Herman Hembe, erstwhile Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market, resigned his leadership of the committee over a N39 million bribery allegations levelled against him even before investigation commenced on the allegation. Hon Hembe, a PDP-Benue lawmaker appreciates the tenet of rule of law in practical terms and did not wait or play on public perception before he stepped down honourably even before the allegations were investigated by the House and the anti-graft agencies.

It is therefore very unfortunate that Mr. Ikuforiji still parades himself as the speaker in the face of his trial for corrupt practices. It has therefore become pertinent to demand for the resignation of the Mr. Ikuforiji as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly forthwith until the matter is concluded in court of law.

Let me also urge the good people of Lagos State as well all true lovers of democracy to prevail on Mr. Ikuforiji to step down with immediate effect to halt the contemptuous assault on democracy and the rule of law.

Dr. Ade Dosunmu, MON

Lagos State PDP Governorship Candidate for 2011 Election