Obasa Urges Accountability in Budget Review

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has issued a firm mandate to fellow lawmakers, instructing them to approach the review of the massive 2026 Appropriation Bill with both utmost thoroughness and transparency. The Speaker stressed the critical need for legislative accountability.

Obasa delivered his charge in a statement made available on Thursday. This comes immediately after State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu presented the proposed budget, a significant N4.237 trillion estimate for the 2026 financial year, to the Assembly earlier this week.

The Speaker urged his colleagues to remain firm, fair, thorough, and transparent throughout the entirety of the budget review process. The call was made during a three-day budget retreat of the Assembly held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Speaking at the event, themed “Budget of Shared Prosperity: Enhancing Accountability and Transparency in Lagos State Budget Process,” Obasa acknowledged the Executive’s preparatory work. He then tasked lawmakers with discharging their own responsibilities without fear or favour, emphasizing that the Governor had done his part.

Obasa insisted that the waste of scarce state resources could be effectively curtailed only if lawmakers diligently performed their critical oversight functions.

He framed the legislative duty as a service of profound importance to the people. “It now behooves you, as representatives of the people, to do your job with clinical efficiency, empathy, diligence, self-awareness, transparency, and conviction,” he stated.

Obasa concluded by underscoring the final authority of the House in allocating public funds. While acknowledging the Governor’s detailed submission, he affirmed that “it is left to the Assembly to decide how we will go about appropriating the state’s resources to align with the demands and aspirations of every Lagosian.”