Instagram live chat between Dele Momodu and Mudasiru Obasa

Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa is a Nigerian lawyer. Politician, Member of All Progressive Congress and Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

He was born in Agege, a town in Lagos State south western Nigeria. He had his primary education at St Thomas Acquinas Pry School, Surulere, Lagos before he proceeded to Archbishop Aggey Memorial Secondary school, Mushin, Ilasamaja, Lagos where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Lagos State University, Lagos in the year 2006.

In 1999, Mudashiru contested the seat of councilor at Agege local government under the Alliance for Democracy party and won, which he served between 1999 and 2002.

He re-contested for his constituency in the 2019 state election and was re-elected as member of the Lagos State house of assembly before he subsequently became the speaker of the 9th assembly.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu started the live chat while waiting for Rt. Hon. Mudasiru Obasa to join the live chat, there was a little bit of technical hitches but Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa joined the live chat eventually.

There was exchange of pleasantries between Chief Dr. Dele Momodu and Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa, Chief Dr. Dele Momodu thanked Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa for joining the live chat, music was played to entertain the Guest before starting the live chat fully.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: The first thing we do is that we let our guests speak for themselves; can you kindly introduce yourself to our viewers? We have many people connected all over the world and they want to know, who is Mudashiru Obasa?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Well, Obasa Mudashiru Ajayi, Rt. Honourable speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly born 11/11/72 attended Primary School Oyewole and my Secondary School at Archbishop Aggey Memorial Seconadary School, Mushin and last to Lagos State University where I studied law and then to Law School. I started in 1999 as a councilor in Agege Local Government, in 2003, I joined the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Agege constituency and since then I’ve been in the Lagos State House of Assembly and I became the Speaker in 2015.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Fantastic! Will you take us that memory lane? You were born in 1972, can you tell us what Lagos look like at that time?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Waoh! In 1972, I can’t give stories how it was then because I was small but growing up, I could remember then when I started Primary School, if you are talking about infrastructure, the expectation was high then, not so many roads, I could remember in those days when we travel from Mushin to Agege, most times, we have to park where we call park in Agege and then trek all the way to connect another bus, if you talk about infrastructural development, I think Lagos has advanced compared to that period and when you talk about social life, social life has fun and great then, we had that kind of family relationship even your neighbours unlike what we have today where everybody has to lock his children indoor. So I think we had more social life than what it is today.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Fantastic! Tell us about your Primary School, was it a mission school or a Government School? Can you remember some of your classmates for example?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Long time ago. Well, I started school at St. Thomas Acquinas Primary School and as the name suggest it is a mission school, I can remember one Awolowo Charles, Amu and many others.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: And then in Secondary School?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Aaah! Saka Tinubu Memorial High School, one of the best schools then when you talk about academics, sport and everything so a lot of friends then, many of them are still around till today, I could remember Musbau Arogundade, Sogo Abiodun, Rasak Williams, so many of them

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Did you participate in any sport then?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: I was a great footballer, I still play football

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: I knew your popularity must have come from somewhere.

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: I still play football, we play in our office at Lagos State House of Assembly, I enjoy football and I love football.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Fantastic! So I know you are eager to talk politics because you joined politics very early, what prompted you into politics?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Well, I think a kind of discussion between our parents then, my father, my uncle and a lot of them most times discuss about Politics and usual thing that came up in their discussion then was Awolowo and I was eager to know about Awolowo so it was there I started catching the ball that I want to be like this Awolowo people are usually talking about and that was where it started from.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Okay. I know you started from the grassroots so what does it take to navigate through the grassroots especially in a densely populated area like Lagos?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: It’s about relationship, I think politics is all about relationships, how solid is your relationship with your people, you know I grew up in that community? So, that motivated the popularity I enjoyed and sustaining that relationship is very crucial.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Your very first election, how did it happen?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Well, as a councilor, before I became the councilor, I’ve always been part of the political officers and I’ve contributed immensely and our own then was to deliver and ensure victory in our community, it wasn’t about what we wanted to gain, our desire was to deliver, we enjoy that confidence that we are in charge of that community so when we returned to democracy in 1999 and we formed another party which was AD, we were sharing offices and everybody was picking, they asked me what I wanted and I said I want to be councilor and we all agreed and that was how I got the ticket, as we have Judas in the disciples of Jesus, so days later, some groups turned against it but we thank God I emerged at the end of the day.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Waoh! And then you said for you it was about delivering and you are delivering ever since?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Yes, Alhamdullilah.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: So after councillorship, how did you move to the next level?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Well, we were still in council then as a councilor and you know the tenure was coming to end and I beckoned on one of our supporters in Agege, please, can you conduct like a survey on my interest if it will be possible for me to go to House of Assembly. So I sent the woman an errand and she came back with positive response that it seems people are interested in me and are going to give me that support and it started. The primary election took place at the Airport hotel, we were 5 contestants and we had 6 delegates and I had 3 votes, the next person had 2 and another person had 1, suddenly, the person that voted for the man that had 1 moved to the person that had 2 and it became 3-3. Thank God for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, may Almighty Allah continue to sustain him, he was the one who said it’s impossible for the person to change and that was how it started, we faced general election, we won and from then till now.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: I can see you just mentioned the Jagaban, the Asiwaju now. I can see that you have been fiercely loyal to him, what is it about the man that a lot of Politicians are ready to die for him?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: This man is a great man, he is a man that has that passion for others to develop, he is a man that no matter what, he will not interfere in the manner you control your structure and he is always been there, he is a listening leaders and he doesn’t abandon his loyalists. If you look at what I said, from 2003, if not for him there I can tell you the ticket would have gone to somebody else.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: But there are those who say they don’t want Godfathers and Godfatherism.

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: There are godfathers everywhere and even in our households, we still play Godfatherism, even for us to have come into this world, according to biology, they say we have thousands of sperms swimming, one emerged out of the thousands so what should we call that? So we need this in politics positively and he has been doing that.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: There are Godfathers and there are godfathers, how has Asiwaju managed to win elections after elections, I want you to be specific about what it entails because it can’t just be about him go left or go right, there must be something.

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: He is someone that is strategic and he is always available, day, night or midnight, he is easily accessible and he is a man that is generous and he is so generous to give anything. So it is very difficult to deny such a man when he asks for anything. So that is just it.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Now, is it true that Lagos has a masterplan? A lot of people are asking me and could you let us into these masterplan? What is the plan for Lagos as a mega city?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Yes, that is true and I think this came up during the era of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that is what others are building on, it is all about infrastructural development, now we are in 2020, so we should be speaking about 2040, we are talking about 4th mainland bridge and so many things in order to elevate the standard of Lagos to any developed world we can think of, we are talking of Lagos that can compete with the city of Paris, city of London and anywhere you can think of. In achieving this, the great man when he came on board, the revenue of Lagos was around 500 million or 600 million and he was able to move it to around 7 billion and from there, successive administrations are building on it because without funds, nothing can be achieved.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Before you became Speaker, of course you were a floor member, can you tell us some of the bills sponsored by you and the activities you think are memorable?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: When I came into the House in 2003, I was the chairman, House committee Rural development, chairman, House committee Public account committee, chairman, house committee, Economic planning and budget before I became the speaker. I have lists of motions and activities, release of the 10 Local Governments Funds of Lagos State under President Obasanjo, the bill to review the National Inland Waterway Act in 2008 which made way for the establishment of Lagos State waterway authority then call for National Assembly to initiate imposing constitutional sanctions for abandoning his duty post without complying with the constitutions, community development association bill 2007, Yoruba language promotion and preservation law 2018 and many more, we have lists of them.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: What is the role of cash in politics, it seems poor people cannot go into politics?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa:(deep laughter…), it is the rich person that owns the world (in Yoruba), it’s very simple, you have to print posters, you have to do adverts, you have to recruit people so you need money for campaign except we want to deceive ourselves. You were also an aspirant, presidential aspirant so you know better than I do

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu cuts in.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: When my mates were seeing the delegates, I was busy donating copies of ovation magazines to them.

Does it not put pressure on politicians when they get to power?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: It does.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Now, you are in your second term as speaker, what would you call the achievements of the house under your leadership?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Well, to consider achievements, you first ask yourself what are the responsibilities of the House? And I’ve mentioned one, the second one is making Law for the benefits and growth of the State, and there is no way the Executive will survive without the legislature, from budgetary provisions which we have to approve and this is one of the achievements, the Kidnapping law also, improving security, we introduced Neighbourhood safety corps and infrastructurally, constructions are ongoing in the House of Assembly, Human development, we are doing trainings every time and all these and many more are achievements.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: There are people who are saying you have not been kind to your people in Agege, how do you respond to that?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: I don’t want to talk about that because, one Agege is one Obasa, my people in Agege will never deny me. When you talk about infrastructural development, Agege is almost becoming Lekki, as we speak, I can’t count the number of roads that have been tarred in Agege. The greatest one is the Pen Cinema bridge which work is still going on, very soon, Agege will surpass Ikeja. When you talk about employment, Bob-Dee, I can’t even count the number of those youths that have gained employments. Same thing with empowerment. My people in Agege will talk for me.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: I am familiar with African politics, I know that you are very excited about Infrastructural development and all that but what about stomach infrastructure? I think that is what they are complaining about.

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Nobody can complain, Bob-Dee! I know what I’m talking about, I cannot count the number of people that have gained employments through me in Agege,. Those we’ve empowered also monetarily. I can’t even count and in the event of the COVID-19, for almost first two weeks, we gave out bread on daily basis. I have eleven wards and I started with 2000 per ward. Almost 30,000 breads for first day. Subsequently, we reduced it to 1000 and that was about 10,000 plus, coupled with bags of rice, financial supports and we have pictures, and even up till now. Call election tomorrow, Insha Allahu, we will win, it’s not boasting but I’m just telling you what it is in Agege and what will happen any day, any time.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: There are all kinds of allegations against you that you are just spending billions and spending money like rain water. What is it about this?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Bob-Dee! I’m very happy about this question. I said it that when we started, I was the Chairman, House committee on Rural, I thank God, Dr, Kasali who was the commissioner is still alive, Akhabueze who was the commissioner for economic planning is still so much alive, Fashola who was the Governor followed by Ambode are alive, call any of them any day, those people I mentioned cannot link anything to me that Obasa did this or that, I’m saying this openly so people can hear and these people are probably watching. If Obasa spends money, what is the purpose of money? Is it not to spend? But the question “How do you spend this money?”, “Do you have budgetary provisions for the money you have expended?”. Yes, trainings and seminars, are they not part of budgets? Festivals and others too. They alleged we use 200 and something million to print invitation, is that possible? Using 200 and something million to print invitation when the total budget for the programme is 61 million naira? So where are you going to get the balance for the 200 and something million naira they say we are using for invitation card. Sometimes, it is so disturbing that some people you believe to be enlightened and educated could be saying something that can’t be established or substantiated. There was a provision in the budget for the programmes and many notable people attended.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: They said you spent billions on buying cars for yourself?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: That is very important, thank you. When you want to be mischievous, it is for you to compose your stories. We had 8th assembly, we are now in 9th assembly, in the 8th assemble, the members were entitled to official cars but because of the issue then between Ambode and the House, the cars were delivered late to the house. But at the end of the day, towards the end of the 8th assembly, we purchased the 40 cars for all the members so the question is, do we have provisions in the budget to purchase vehicles which we did and it followed due process? So what is the problem in that when it isn’t that we didn’t buy the vehicles, everybody collected their vehicles and they are still alive, then the 9th assembly came, are we going to say the new members in the 9th assembly won’t collect their own, is it possible and the 9th assembly got their official car after 6 months in office but because some people are just being mischievous, they now combine the 8th assembly and the 9th assembly together that we purchased this billions and that, it doesn’t make sense, the procurement office is there, you can google the website and crosscheck and we have documents to buttress that.

In this case, the speaker cannot even sign alone because the office of the speaker can only sign 100 million and below, anything above that, you cannot sign, other members of financial committee must join you and I have the list here, you can see.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: So how are you able to get the billions that is being alleged, I’m not the one saying this, I’m only reading out the questions been sent to me.

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa:Where is the billion? Can you spend Government money anyhow, are the clerk, auditors and the officials stupid, are they not going to crosscheck what you have been doing?

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: They say maybe you are sharing it together?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa:Sharing what? What do you want to share? I have challenged those who are behind this to come and prove their points repeatedly, if they can trace Government money to my account, send for statutory. They talked about my wife, come and prove it, this is just blackmail and it is unpolitical. Some people have the intention of chasing out the speaker, to remove the speaker is constitutional and it is allowed but there is a process, come to the house and follow the process, not through blackmailing. Why is it that it was after we suspended and removed some of our brothers the thing started?

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: I was going to that, there is also the allegation that you are being dictatorial and you are sacking those who are not supporting you and you are not giving them back their original position and all that?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa:Bob-Dee! Impeachment is democratic, is it not? Ete of our House of Rep was removed so what is an offence in that? You know parliament is about number and you cannot impose yourself on anybody. If the members come tomorrow and say Obasa, we have come to the end of you then there is nothing I can do, we have seen it in other States like Edo, Ekiti and some others. When they are ready to remove the Speaker, nobody can stop them but we must not sacrifice discipline because of sentiments of politics.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Are you willing to reconcile with them?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: We have reconciled already. You know we suspended them, we have lifted their suspensions and made them Chairmen of various Committees. What else? Why will you want to destroy the House because the decisions are not in your support? It shows you don’t love the House. The speaker was removed, he took it in good faith, the deputy speaker was removed, he took it in good faith. Now they are filing documents about, the question is “Why did we suspend and remove them?”

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Is it true the party asked you to return them?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: I’ve returned them.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Have you returned them to their original positions?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: NO! nothing like that. We have returned them and we gave them chairmen

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: These remove, remove, remove. There must be something very juicy about your office, can you be frank and tell us how powerful is your office?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: The speaker office is just like any other office, it has responsibilities and the speaker has to discharge those responsibilities so you have to perform your legislative, you have to perform your administrative role, you have to perform that political role as well, social role and family role too so it is like a man doing all together but for me, I do not see myself as being powerful. As a speaker, you are not the boss, the day you consider yourself to be the boss, that will be the end of the speaker. You are just first among the equals, anybody can become the speaker, only that they have chosen you to lead them unlike the Governor who owns the cabinet and he can do this or that, I can’t do that, I have to seek collaborations and understanding in all decisions. No decisions, purchase of these vehicles, the seminars and everything that we didn’t discuss at the Parliament meeting, there is none and I’m saying it openly.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: Now, some are saying you have friends who also supported you in the past, what is your relationship with them? Some of them are fighting you, why do you think they are fighting you?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: Well, I don’t know the friends you are talking about but I respect relationships so much, I guide relationships jealously so, for me, I will not fight any of my friends, even the past members of the House, we still relate and as I have said the Speaker is the Speaker and today Obasa is the Speaker Insha Allah.

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu: You seem to be a very tough man but you look gentle?

Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa: I’m a gentle man, I hardly speak, if not for this conversations. They ask “Does he speak?”, I don’t talk, I don’t go out, it is Home-Office, Office –Home, I don’t go out except functions of people very close to me like the birthday you came to the last time. For me, when I want to take decisions, I do it passionately, that is one of the qualities of leadership. We have 40 members in the House and I can’t have all of them on my side. Peace has been returned to Lagos state house of assembly, we still had our sitting on Monday and 30 plus member attended

Chief Dr. Dele Momodu addressed the viewers and music by Chief Ebenezer Obey was played to entertain one another before ending the livechat.