At the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Ogundipe Steven Olukayode's personality looms large. He is the Lawmaker representing Oshodi -Isolo constituency 1. No doubt, Honouranle Ogundipe is a towering figure in the house. He is hugely respected by his peers for his depth of knowledge on the dynamics of politics and governance and his solid display of native intelligence which has enabled him handle very tricky issues in the house with remarkable tact. This is why he has earned the applause of many for his brilliant discharge of his duties as the Chairman House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security.
Many will recall that, a couple of months ago when the Lagos Assembly was embroiled in intense leadership crisis, Hon. Ogundipe was constantly in the eye of the storm, handling the very challenging task of regularly engaging the media at such a turbulent period and letting Nigerians know exactly what the situation was. In the end, the house weathered the storm, peace has been restored and the Lagos Assembly is united and has remained as strong as ever. Most notably, it must be said, Hon. Ogundipe came out if it all unscathed. He held his head high all through the very nervy and tension filled period of the leadership crisis that very nearly rocked the house to its foundation. While a couple of his colleagues lost their originally held positions after the dust had finally settled, he not only retained his position as Chairman House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, but also got resounding commendations from all and sundry for his impressive handling of the grueling situation.
Today, Hon. Ogundipe discharges his duties with unwavering commitment and enthusiasm and speaks proudly of his colleagues and Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa whom he described as an outstanding leader and the Lagos State House of Assembly as a whole.
At the recently held Global Excellence Awards for Excellence which took place last Saturday, May 18th, 2025, at Etall Hotels and Halls on Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja, Lagos, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa was honoured with the Speaker of the Year Award. Hon. Ogundipe and a few of his colleagues were present to pick the award on his behalf. Shortly after they were presented with the award, City People's Senior Editor, Wale Lawal (08037209290) had a brief chat with Hon. Ogundipe Steven Olukayode. He spoke glowingly about his leader, Obasa and expressed confidence that the Lagos Assembly is more than poised to meet the expectations of Lagosians now that the storm in the house is over. Here are excerpts of the interview.
Congratulations, sir, on the award you just received
on behalf of the Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, the Rt. Hon. Mudashiru
Obasa.
Thank you very much.
Tell us, sir, what does this award represent to Mr. Speaker
and to the Lagos House of Assembly as a whole?
First and foremost, we want
to appreciate Global Excellence for also finding us worthy to receive such
honor. You understand where the Lagos House of Assembly is coming from. And there’s
no doubt that the Assembly has been a pride in the country. This explains why other
legislators want to come in and see all the things we've been doing to make it stand
out from the rest as the leading State House of Assembly in the country. And
that is a house that prides itself as above global standards of excellence. It’s
the house that takes to the fore whatever is going to bring about developmental
strides in the country. We are always number one and of course, you can check
and cross-check. And when you consider the level of Honorable members on ground
at the Assembly, they were all duly elected from their various constituencies and
they are the best hands in each of those constituencies and that's why you see the
high volume of the dividends of democracy that are being enjoyed by the people
in each of those constitutncies. Globally, you see lots of investors also coming
into Lagos to discuss business expansion and developmental issues with Nigeria,
despite the fact that Lagos state is just a state out of the 36 states plus 1.
Well, number one is that the
speaker has been on ground for some time. He is very experienced. For him to
have excelled and become a three-time speaker in a state of excellence like
Lagos, that shows that he's above board. That shows he’s got something unique. That
shows he knows what and what it takes to be there. And that also shows that he
has been able to lead effectively. It also shows that his background is solid and
that it’s no fluke that he became the Speaker of the House three times, despite
the fact that he has been in the house for this long. So it's telling Nigerians
something, that he's somebody you have to watch out for. Somebody who also has
what it takes to move our nation forward. It is a good one and we are indeed
proud of him and what he has achieved.
It is heartwarming to see you and your colleagues come
out here and pick this award on behalf of the Speaker. This shows that the
house has weathered the storm of the last couple of months. Share with us, sir,
how were you able to resolve the issues back then even after the reinstatement
of the Speaker and what is the mood in the house at this time?
It is a united House. It is a
House in harmony. Like I said, Issues come and we discuss them. We may
disagree, it is part of the process, but we will reach a resolution that will
be for the common good of the people. We will argue, we will be angry with each
other, but we will always reach a collective resolution. And the most important
thing is that the people that elected us, their views are respected. We have
all sat down to dialogue and iron things out and we have put it all behind us
now. We now focus on how to strive to achieve the many things that are expected
for us to go and do out there. Yes, the storm came, like you rightly said, and we've
weathered it and the house is back on its feet and we are fully united
together.
What should Lagosians look forward to from the Lagos
State House of Assembly going forward? We know you've been on break for a while, what
should the people look forward to once the house reconstitutes?
Yes, we've been on break for
a while, we've been working. We've been doing oversight functions. Even the
house has sat almost three or four times after we resumed. And what we are also
saying is that, you see, when the house is also on ground there, a lot of
things, like many also know, will move. And that's why I made that statement back
there on stage, that if you are drawing your budget from Lagos, you have to
join us on the ground there. And you must believe us that now we are fully back
and things are going to work in tandem with Lagosians expectations and
experiences, you should expect the best from Lagos. It's always there. Lagos is
always number one and we won't deny Lagosians the best of legislation, the best
of making sure that whatever budget that was there, it is for their own
interest.
Finally, sir, before I let you go, at the time the
House was embroiled in that crisis a while back, a lot of impressions and
conclusions were reached concerning the Speaker. You are someone that works very
closely with him, that’s why you’re here standing in for him, tell us, how
would you describe the personality of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa?
Well, you can see for yourself,
judging from the award he's received here today. It shows the kind of person
that he is. It shows his leadership quality. It shows that he is outstanding. And
like I said, it's not a matter of standing in for the Speaker, it's a matter of
standing in for excellence. It’s a matter of standing in for what Lagosians need
at any point in time. Yes, there are issues. Even on the floor, we do have
issues and it's for us to say it in tandem with why you are elected there. Each
of the 40 members there are all equal, but the Speaker is first among equals and
that is also respected. That is the reason when you see us come out there to
make our points, to make our views, it is not just about us, it's about our
constituencies and their demands and their views must be respected. So, the
Speaker, like I rightly said, we are back together and things are moving on
fine in the House.
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