Ambode’s Former Commissioner Spills; Opens Can Of Worms On Purchase Of Buses

These are certainly not the best of times for former Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode.

The governor has since leaving office been embroiled in scandals and face-offs with the state legislative arm.

In a recent twist to the ongoing probe of the governor, the state’s former Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Olesegun Banjo has revealed that the former Governor did not follow due process by passing the purchase of the controversial 820 mass transit buses through his ministry.

A total of N45 billion was shelled for the purchase of the buses.

Banjo revealed this on Tuesday when he appeared before a 16-man Ad-hoc committee set up by the legislative arm.

Meanwhile, the former governor who was expected to turn up at the hearing has so far not shown up.

The following former commissioners; Finance, Mr Akinyemi Ashade and Special Duties, Oladejo Seye, also failed to appear but sent written letter to the committee explaining that they were not in the country. According to Banjo, his former principal shunned the procurement tradition he met on the ground and did not carry his ministry along as regards the purchase of the mass transit buses.

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

“N24 billion did not come to my ministry. We didn’t have a running system. As a commissioner, I could not approve one naira. All the Ministry Department Agency, MDAs, approached the governor directly,” he declared.

According to Banjo, “Ambode’s administration was not transparent. 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.”

The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said the House would invite Ambode through a newspaper publication. According to him “If the ex-Governor Ambode fails to show up then, the Assembly will have no option than to resort to issuing a warrant for his arrest.”