Assembly Probe: Ex-commissioner Indicts Ambode, Says Ex-gov Shunned Procurement Procedure

Ololade Adeyanju/

A former Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Olusegun Banjo, disclosed yesterday that ex-governor Akinwunmi Ambode did involve his ministry in the N45 billion purchase of 820 mass transit buses being probed by the state assembly.

Banjo said this during his appearance before an ad hoc committee set up by the Assembly to probe Ambode over the purchase of the buses.

Ambode was also expected to appear before the 16-man committee chaired by Fatai Mojeed, yesterday but he failed to show up.

The immediate-past Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akinyemi Ashade; and ex-Commissioner for Special Duties, Oladejo Seye, who were also invited, wrote to the committee that they were out of the country.

Banjo told the committee that Ambode shunned the procurement procedure and did not carry his ministry along as regards the purchase of the mass transit buses.

Banjo stated: “The way the ministry was structured (under Ambode), it did not allow us to function well.

“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.”

He said Ambode’s administration “was not transparent,” adding that “a lot of things could be done without the knowledge of the commissioners.”

“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,” Banjo said.

0