The Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, summoned the State Public Procurement Agency, PPA over reports of alleged bogus spending by the Offices of the Governor and the Deputy Governor.
Daily Trust reports that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu came under intense criticism over the approval of N7.5 million to replace liquid fragrance in his office and N2 billion to purchase rechargeable fans for the office of his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.
Although, Hamzat said his office got only N2m instead of the reported N3bn, questions have also been raised about other expenses which include the approval of the sum of N44.8m for the clearing of vegetables within the Epe Mixed Development Scheme and N73.1m for the production of the official portraits of President Bola Tinubu and the governor.
Speaking at plenary, the Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said it was necessary for the House to look into the issue so as to establish the facts behind the story despite the efforts by the executive to describe the story as untrue.
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“So, we call on the committee in charge of procurement to invite the agency and others mentioned and do a thorough job on this in order to establish facts concerning the publications,” the speaker said.
The Assembly also decided to step down the screening of the six cabinet nominees sent by Sanwo-Olu for confirmation for failing to disclose their identities.
It said the letter from the governor only named the commissioner-nominee as Mr Abiodun Ogunleye, while the identities of the five nominees for the position of special adviser were not mentioned.
The Clerk of the House was mandated to write back to the governor for the remaining identities.
Meanwhile, Governor Sanwo-Olu has said his administration is open to criticism.
The governor said this in response to the controversy that has trailed the procurement record released by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Lagos State Building Control Agency building in Ikeja, the governor said he welcomed the open letter by the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress in Lagos, Funso Doherty.
Doherty had challenged Sanwo-Olu to come out clean on the approval of humongous expenditure.
But the governor assured him that the government will continue to publish its spending and keep it open for public scrutiny.
“We are committed, responsible and transparent. We don’t have a problem with anybody, or any individual. We acknowledge that there are ways we should be doing things. We appreciate criticism. We appreciate the fact that people can look at us in the face that we need to do well in the state.
“So, we don’t have a problem with the originator of an open letter. In fact, we like it and we want to thank him, and that’s to say that indeed, to be a government that’s firm and responsible, we should not shy away from criticism.
“But it is only when criticism is malicious and it is to misrepresent the truth that’s where there’s a problem. Some officers in Lagos have all come out to say that indeed we can make mistakes on some lines of items. I heard of a particular one that an item was meant to be N2m but it was written as N2bn.
“For me, I’m leading a team of very dedicated public officials; I’m leading a team of committed civil servants. I’m leading a team of self-motivated public officials who want to stand and say that they can be well recognised.
“All we want to do is to serve the people of Lagos, and serve the state with every iota of strength and commitment we have, and believing Lagosians can truly see the benefit of our service. I just want to make this point, and put it to rest,” he said.
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