The Lagos State House of Assembly has charged the Ministry of Transportation, related departments and agencies to ensure effective enforcement of the State’s transportation laws, especially as it relates to commercial motorcycle riders.

The call was made by the House Committee On Transportation which is currently on its oversight to the various agencies.

During a visit to the Ministry, the Motor Vechicle Adminnistration Agency (MVAA) and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transportation Agency (LAMATA) on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Temitope Adewale, said that effective enforcement of the laws would save residents and discourage the plying of major roads by Okada riders.

He said such enforcement would also help to stop the use of one-way by drivers.

Adewale, who commended the management of MVAA over its revenue generation, advised the agency to device means within the laws to actualise its mandate inspite of the challenges facing it.

According to the lawmaker, based on the revenue generated so far by the agency, it shows that Lagos is a prosperous State despite the country’s economic downturn.

At LAMATA, the commiittee chairman commended the agency for ensuring effective mass transit, adding that the state would continue to witness infrastructural development in the transportation sector.

Adewale also urged the agency to quickly complete ongoing projects so that new ones should commence before the weather becomes unfriendly.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Fredrick Oladeinde, said the ministry would continue to work with the House of Assembly to ensure the effective delivery of dividends of democracy.

Oladeinde said the ministry would further ensure that people are able to drive seamlessly from one point to the other without fear as he said the State has a transport masterplan which would address the challenges facing the sector.

On his part, Mr Oluwatoyin Fayinka, Special Adviser on Transportation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, canvassed for budget line to enhance the productivity of his office.

Also, the General Manager of MVAA, Mrs Lape Kilanko, pointed out the challenges facing the agency as he sought the assistance of the House in addressing them.

Kilanko lamented that local governments and Local Council Development Authorities, LCDAs, were collecting the revenue that the agency was saddled to collect and that this had affected the revenue drive of the agency.

She said the agency has accommodation problem which is affecting its productivity.

Members of the committee present at the oversight were; Hon. Ganiyu Okanlawon, Hon. Sylvester Ogunkelu and Hon. Tijani Surajudeen.

Breaking: Lagos Assembly passes VAT, open grazing bill

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday passed the State’s Value Added Tax (VAT) with Speaker Mudashiru Obasa directing the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit a clean copy to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.

The House also passed the bill that prohibits open cattle grazing in the state.

The two bills were passed after unanimous votes by the lawmakers at the sitting where they were read the third time.

Immediately after their passage, Speaker Obasa commended his colleagues for their passion to see that the state continues to grow.

“I Thank you all for this historic exercise,” Obasa said.

Recall that the House held separate public hearings on the bills on Wednesday with stakeholders expressing support.

– Reduce pension of former governors by 50 percent

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday approved the report of its committee on establishment which recommended the reduction of pensions to former governors and other affected officials by 50 percent.

The committee also expunged the provision of houses in Abuja and Lagos for former governors as stipulated in an earlier law operated by the state.

The report further showed a reduction in the number of vehicles to be made available to former governors and their deputies.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, suggested that former governors should get two vehicles (a car and a van) instead of three as recommended by the committee.

He also suggested that the amended bill should provide that the cars be changed every four years instead of the three years recommended by the report.

While some of the lawmakers, at plenary, had suggested for an upward review of the pension for the affected public office holders by 75 percent, others urged that the pension remain as stipulated in the old law.

However, Obasa argued that it should be left at 50 percent, especially as the report had recommended the removal of houses and reduced other benefits.

While recalling the recent murder of the president of Haiti, Obasa said it was necessary to also secure the lives of the former office holders.

“By virtue of my office, I have seen former Speakers who we just had to intervene in their lives because of the situations they found themselves outside office. We have also seen former governors in a very bad situation,” he said.

Obasa noted the argument of his colleagues that the projected downward review of the pension for the former governors and others could also be affected by inflation and other economic considerations, but reminded that the House must meet the wishes of the people one of which is a cut in the cost of governance.

“There is no argument, we must realise that this is democracy and it is all about the people. We are here because of the people. When we represent people, it is good for us to listen to them as well.

“We must realise that we would always go back to the people for support. So when we hearken to their agitations and reduce what existed, it shows that we listen,” Obasa told his colleagues adding that his suggestion for further reduction of the number of cars was because “as you age, your needs continue to decrease.”

Earlier some of the lawmakers had supported the report of the committee saying it would have a positive impact on the internally generated revenue of the state.