Top journalist and the Editor of Saturday Tribune, Dr Lasisi Olagunju has a piece of advice for the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Mudashiru Obasa.

In his article titled ‘King Obasa of Lagos’, the journalist rang some words of warning to the lawmaker over the crisis that emanated from the refusal of some Commissioner-nominees from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu by the State House of Assembly.

Olagunju faulted Obasa’s response to a question he answered on live television where he said ‘do I look like someone who can be threatened?’ and also comparing the Governor’s political pedigree and his while saying…

“The governor has been around for long. He was SA to the former deputy governor, Otunba Femi Pedro. While he was serving as S.A. to the former deputy governor, I was in this House, (as) chairman, House Committee on Rural Development. He was S. A. Establishment, Pension; I was chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (Local Governments). And when he was heading LSPDC, I was Chairman, House Committee on Economic Planning and Budget… (then) I was the speaker of this House. And, when he became the governor, I remain the speaker.”

In his last warning, Lasisi referred Obasa to the story of an Ibadan Chief, Baale Irefin who lost all…

he should read the story of a Baale of Ibadan who lost all in 1914. Baale Irefin was pressured by his chiefs to write a petition against the Resident, Oyo Province, Captain Ross, and the Alaafin. He wrote and they all affixed their thumbprints to their text of complaints. But the chiefs later met the government and wrote a counter-petition disowning Irefin and his letter. They said the Baale forced them to put their thumbprints on the offensive document. Irefin lost his throne and his life. In that same Ibadan, there was also Balogun Ola who thought other chiefs were with him in the fight against negative colonial actions in Ibadan affairs. Ola had gone too far in the battle before he realised that he was alone; his colleagues had withdrawn from that cause. The Balogun lost his title and his life. He was asked to kill himself or leave the town. The one who preferred death to shame put himself to sleep one bad day in 1917. Ibadan’s history is a composite account of all manners of intrigues politicians are capable of. The records say so and that is why I cited those two cases as a sermon to the feuding strongmen of Lagos. There may be no winner in their fight.