Olusegun Banjo, a former
commissioner for economic planning and budget in Lagos, says Akinwunmi Ambode,
former governor of the state, did not involve members of his cabinet in the
purchase of 820 buses.
Banjo made the allegation during
his appearance before the committee set up by the state house of assembly to
probe Ambode and four ex-commissioners.
The state assembly had threatened
to issue a warrant for the arrest of the former governor and some
ex-commissioners.
This followed two preliminary
reports presented by two committees set up to investigate the purchase of the buses.
Ambode who was expected to appear
before the 16-man committee on Tuesday did not show up. The three other former
commissioners also failed to appear, but wrote to the assembly that they were
out of the country.
Banjo alleged that the former
governor ignored the procurement tradition he met on the ground, saying
Ambode’s administration “was not transparent” and that “a lot of things could
be done without the knowledge of the commissioners”.
“The way the ministry was
structured (under Ambode), it did not allow us to function well,” he said.
“The N24bn did not come to my
ministry. We didn’t have a running system. As a commissioner, I could not
approve one naira. All the MDAs approached the governor directly.
“I don’t know what happens to
unbudgeted funds when it comes because the ministry of finance does not inform
my ministry; we don’t have a running system.”
But when Shukrat Umar,
accountant-general of the state, was asked if the budget for the purchase of
the buses was approved by the state executive council, she said: “The state
treasury office acted on exco’s approval.”
“The buses were in line with
exco’s approval. I would not know whether the Paris refund club was discussed
or not.”
Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the
assembly, said the house would invite the former governor through a newspaper
publication.
Obasa said if the ex-governor
failed to show up then, the assembly would have no choice than to issue a
warrant for his arrest.
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