Politics Taken Too Far?…Speaker Obasa’s Inglorious 56th Birthday Gift To Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Of Staff Tayo Ayinde

Eniola Adeniyi

Yesterday, Monday, August 24 was the birthday of Tayo Ayinde, the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Amid the deluge of birthday wishes from fans and supporters, Ayinde got a shocking birthday gift from the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

The Lagos State House of Assembly summoned Ayinde before a probe panel.

The summoning by the Lagos State House of Assembly was issued publicly and found its way into the media during Ayinde’s birthday ‘’celebration’’.

The information available to societynow.ng revealed the Assembly headed by Obasa summoned Ayinde to come account for the whereabouts and funds about the operations of the helicopters owned by the Lagos State Government.

Ayinde has been summoned to face the Assembly along with the commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget and Commissioner for Special Duties and Management of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF).

According to the statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Lagos State Government owns three helicopters which are meant to serve security and commercial purposes.

The Lagos State Assembly through Chief Whip Mojisola Miranda asserts that ‘’ “In 2015, three helicopters were bought under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to strengthen security in the state. But, the helicopters are nowhere to be found now.

“I will want us to look at it and get the concerned parties to tell the House the location of the three helicopters to see if they are just lying fallow or if the state government has entered into an agreement with an entity on the equipment and see to what extent the agreement has been working,”

The Lagos State Government reportedly had an agreement with Caverton Helicopters to handle the Helicopters.

‘’But the key thing is that the summon with its apparent and inherent implications was issued on Ayinde’s birthday and it has dwarfed all the good wishes and felicitations about his 56th birthday. That is one inglorious birthday gift from the Speaker and his crew’’ Societynow.ng learned.

The further checks by societynow.ng revealed that Ayinde had no idea of what was coming his way.

A major pointer to this was the caution sounded by Rotimi Abiru, the state legislator representing Shomolu Constituency 2 during the deliberation that resulted in the summon.

According to information in the statement released by Abati, the spokesperson to the Speaker ‘’ Hon. Noheem Adams (Eti Osa 1), also spoke on the matter and said that the helicopters were purchased for commercial purposes, while Hon. Rotimi Abiru (Shomolu 2) cautioned that the Assembly ought to have approached the office of the Chief of Staff over what has happened to the helicopters before bringing it to plenary.’’

Also the statement only Tayo Ayinde’s name is included along with his position.

The opening paragraph of the statement reads ”The Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned the Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwoolu of the state, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Commissioner For Special Duties and management of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) over the whereabouts of the three helicopters belonging to the state government.”

Additional information available to societynow.ng reveals Speaker Obasa and Tayo Ayinde belong to different caucus within the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State.

Ayinde was prominently featured during the scrapped re-launch of Mandate group while the initiators headed by Rauf Aregbesola snubbed Obasa.

This was at a time when Obasa was neck-deep in a fierce political battle with late Bayo Osinowo, one of the major players of the caucus led by Aregbesola.