Lagos State House of Assembly |
•Desmond Elliot Apologises, Promises Constructive Engagements
•Legislators’ comments on #EndSARS protests pit Lagos Assembly against youths
Thousands of Nigerians, especially youths, have taken to their Twitter handle to vilify the Lagos State House of Assembly over unsavoury remarks credited to some legislators on the #EndSARS protest, which ended last week.
Majority of the aggrieved youths on Twitter have vowed to patiently wait to vote out those lawmakers, who made unpopular remarks concerning young Nigerians that participated in the #EndSARS protests.
Prominent among the targeted Lagos legislators currently in the eye of the storm are popular actor, Desmond Elliot who represents Surulere Constituency and Mrs Mojisola Ali-Macauley of Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1.
Both lawmakers have been accused of making denigrating comments about the youths especially Ali-Macauley, who was alleged to have said that Nigerian youths are always on drug during the last plenary held last Monday.
Some inside sources said the leadership of the Assembly must have, in trying to manage the damages to its image, directed its members to hold town hall meetings in their various constituencies on Thursday. The outcome has not changed the narratives as many more Nigerians, especially in Lagos, have continued to attack the House, vowing to wait to vote against them in 2023.
Elliot has, however, apologised to Nigerians for calling the Youths ‘children’. The actor had come under fire moments after his hypothetical submissions that youths, under the guise of ENDSARS protests, cause havoc and perpetrate evil in the society.
“I did not mean to be insensitive with this, it was borne out of the magnitude of destruction and looting of businesses I witnessed when I went on a tour of my constituency. I saw women crying and my constituent members distraught as a result of the damages inflicted on their source of livelihood.
I was moved by this while giving my submission on the floor of the House.
“Please, understand that even the best of us make mistakes. This is why, moving forward, I ask that we all try to engage constructively on the issues that affect all of us. I promise to do the same,” he said.
On another hand, the member representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, Hakeem Sokunle has exempted youths from his area from the arson of Makinde Police station.
Shokunle, while addressing his constituency, attested that the youths in Oshodi are not capable of setting the police station ablaze. He said this when he went on inspection to see the level of damage.
“I am here to inspect the extent of damages done to the Makinde Police station. We’ve seen the extent of the damage and the only thing that baffles me about the burning is that, I don’t think the youths in Oshodi are capable of doing such. We need to trace it back to the real arsonists because I can vouch that the youths in Oshodi can never commit this kind of atrocity. It has happened and the only thing we need to do is to properly investigate the burning.”
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