Why are you crying more than the bereaved, Group asks Lagos Speaker over controversial Bill

A socio-economic cum political group, the Greater Alimoso, has reportedly described the controversial Delineation Bill by the Lagos State House of Assembly as akin to crying more than the bereaved.

In a press statement released on Friday, 12 February, 2021, signed by Adesola Adeyemi and Sola OlaOluwa, President and Secretary General of the group respectively, the group said the Bill which seek to move Alimoso from Ikeja to Badagry division is untenable since the people of Alimoso have not indicated their desire to move.

“It is like crying more than the bereaved on the part of the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa, who we learnt was the prime mover of the Bill. The question the Speaker and his colleagues in the House must answer is whether the people of Alimoso have indicated their desire to move. The answer is No. The people of Alimoso have not complain of any problem with their siblings in Ikeja, we are happy in Ikeja, so where is this coming from?” The group asked.

According to Greater Alimoso, the five divisions of Lagos aptly acronymed IBILE and their components have historical, heritage and cultural links binding them together hence they have been existing together in harmony without any complain from any division or component units.

“Alimoso was created from the old Ikeja Local Government, the same mother that gave birth to Agege and Ifako Ijaiye Local Government. We wonder what connects Alimoso to Badagry that our lawmakers now think it is appropriate to move Alimoso to the division,” the group said.

According to Greater Alimoso, “We are aware that this move is not for the interest of the generality of the people but to satisfy and promote the political ambition of the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa, who is aspiring to represent the Lagos West Senatorial District in the Senate in 2023. His calculations, according to some of his boys, is that it will be easy for him to get the party’s ticket if Alimoso is moved to Badagry. He will be able to argue that Badagry has got the ticket twice through Senator Olamilekan Adeola and that it is now the turn of Ikeja Division to produce the Senator.

“We wonder why neither Agege nor Ifako Ijaiye was affected by this strange bill which tends to erode the history, culture and heritage of the Alimoso people”.

Greater Alimoso stated further that for a bill that seeks to delineate divisions or constituencies to scale, it must have the consent of the affected people.

“As we are writing this press statement, we are aware that none of the affected people was put into consideration and there was no communication with them.

“The hurried way the Bill passed through first and second reading in the same day confirm our fears that the Speaker is just using the instrumentality of the legislature to promote his political aspiration,” Greater Alimoso said.

The group warned that the people of Alimoso will resist what it called “strange and retrogressive bill as we are happy coexisting with our brethren in Ikeja division. We love our brothers and sisters in Badagry division but it is in Ikeja we belong and there we shall be”.