Why Gov Ambode sacked commissioners, more to go

More has been revealed about the circumstances which led to the recent sack of three commissioners in the cabinet of the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Sources close to the governor’s office revealed that the three state executive council members were relieved of their duties over claims of alleged insubordination and mismanagement.

Those given the boot were commissioners for Tourism, Folorunsho Folarin-Coker; Finance, Mustapha Akinkunmi; and Transportation, Ekundayo Mobereola.

The source added that there is likely to still be further reshuffling of the cabinet as the governor is not done yet with his plans.

He said, “one of the guys that was sacked was actually very rude to His Excellency. It’s as if he was still looking at him as a civil servant, because he (sacked commissioner) feels he was already a cabinet member when Ambode was going through the civil service to end up as an auditor-general”.

The erstwhile commissioner for Tourism, Folarin-Coker can be regarded as a made man before venturing into business, having come from the wealthy Lagos family of Chief Folarin Coker.

He served as the Personal Assistant to former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu from 1999 to 2003 when he was then appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Governor’s Office. A year later he was handed an additional responsibility to serve as the Managing Director of the Lagos State Number Plates Production Agency.

In 2014, then Governor Babatunde Fashola appointed him as a member of the State Executive Council and Special Adviser on Central Business Districts.

Read also: Gov Ambode sacks three commissioners

Dr. Akinkunmi on his part is described in most quarters as a Financial Economist and Technology Strategist.

The erstwhile commissioner for transportation, Dr. Mobereola was the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). Prior to this, he had served as Adviser to Tinubu as governor in the field of transport operation and management, institutional development and structuring, procurement, needs assessment, annual budget preparation and project management.

He is credited to have conceptualized and implemented the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme which currently employs about 20,000 Lagosians.

His sack however may not be unconnected to issues of alleged mismanagement in the scheme, which recently led to a protest action by workers in the BRT scheme, who complained of being shortchanged.

 

 

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