Lagos Assembly Summons Sanwo-Olu’s CoS, Others Over Usage Of Security Helicopters

The Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned the Chief of Staff to the 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.

Raising the under Matter of Urgent Public Importance during plenary on Monday 24th August 2020, the Chief Whip of the Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Miranda stated that the offices and MDAs in-charge of the helicopters should be written to and that the Assembly should know the agreement between the state government and Caverton Helicopters that is managing the helicopters.

“If you may recall, in 2007, the House of Assembly passed a bill for the establishment of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) for the state government to equip and strengthen the security agencies in the state.

“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,” she said.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa pointed out that the helicopters were meant for dual purposes, and that they were meant to be used for security purposes and for commercial purposes.

Obasa emphasised that the House should just try to know what has accrued to the state from the helicopters so far, saying that this was the first time the Assembly would be talking about the equipment.