A former commissioner in the administration of immediate past governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, has said the latter did not follow the procurement rule in the controversial purchase of 820 buses.
The ex commissioner, Olusegun Banjo, who was in charge of economic planning and budget in the government, told a panel set up by the Lagos state House of Assembly to investigate the purchase of the buses that Ambode did not involve the cabinet members in the procurement.
Banjo, who served under Ambode as Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget said 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, Punch reports.
Banjo further told the lawmakers that the government of Ambode was not transparent and that many actions were carried out 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,” he said.
However, on her part, the Accountant-General of Lagos State, Mrs Shukrat Umar, when asked if the budget for the purchase of the buses was approved by the State Executive Council, 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.”
Meanwhile, speaker of the Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, said the House would invite Ambode through a newspaper publication.
He added that if the ex-governor failed to show up then, the Assembly would resort to issuing a warrant for his arrest.