The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has commended the legislative acumen, political doggedness, and robust leadership of Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Obasa, a six-term legislator representing Agege Constituency 1, has been Speaker since 2015.
During a recent visit to Obasa, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, chairman, said the Conference of Speakers came to show solidarity and observe Iftar with their colleague and former chairman.
Ogundoyin, also the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, commended Obasa’s ‘peerless maturity and exemplary leadership’, qualities he said have ensured that the Lagos State House of Assembly continues to live up to its reputation as the leading light and pathfinder of state legislatures in Nigeria.
One after the other, the visiting Speakers extolled Obasa’s leadership and applauded him for upholding the state assembly’s motto – beyond the common standards of excellence.’
Responding, Obasa thanked his speaker colleagues for the visit and urged them to continue to legislate for the good governance of their respective states because “Effective legislation plays an integral role in the overall socio-economic development of all states and the nation at large.”
Further, he said, “As legislators, we must prioritise and be responsive to the needs and interests of the people as exemplified by our activities in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“I understand that every legislature operates under different rules and circumstances, but you can never get it wrong when the goal is legislative efficiency and effectiveness, which are two different things. My over two decades of experience as a legislator has taught me that effectiveness is doing the right things, while efficiency is doing things right. So, for those wondering why Lagos is a primus inter pares among Nigerian states, it is because we combine effectiveness with efficiency.”
Established by the pioneer speakers of state Houses of Assembly in the wake of the return of democracy in 1999, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria is a bipartisan organisation committed to serving the nation and member-states irrespective of the party affiliation of members. Its primary aim is to promote inter-parliamentary solidarity and legislative best practices. Obasa served as chairman between 2018 and 2020.