Chinelo Obogo

The Lagos State House Assembly has set-up a committee to investigate the purchase of 820 buses by the administration of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

The House said the purchase out of the 5,000 buses proposed by Ambode for mass transit was done despite the objections by the Assembly.

In a motion titled: “Lagos State House of Assembly motion number 2”,  Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti Osa 2), explained that Ambode informed lawmakers that 5,000 buses would be bought by the state government at the Executive/ Legislative parley held in FESTAC on September 2017.

He stated that the executive proposed to spend N17 billion to purchase the buses in the 2017 budget, but that it was not approved by the Assembly.

“In the 2018 and 2019 budgets, the state government proposed N24 billion and N7 billion respectively, but these were not approved. The state government still went ahead to import 820 buses at N7 billion; and out of them, 520 are still awaiting clearance at the ports.

“The state government requested waivers for the importation of the buses and it was not granted.The value of the buses were overrated. Some of the buses are still in the ports and they are attracting demurrage.

“N45 billion would be spent on the total purchase of the buses and we need to prevent such an occurrence in the future,” Yishawu said.

The speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said in his submission that the House needs to prevent waste as the expenditure has already been done.

“The vehicles are in the ports and they have been there for almost a year. The state will continue to suffer if we allow the buses to stay in the ports.

Also speaking, Rasheed Makinde (Ifako-Ijaye II) said it was obvious that the last administration erred in awarding contracts.

“The 8th Assembly rejected the proposal on the buses, yet they went on to spend N45 billion on the project.

“Since we did not approve the contract expenditure is null and void, so the money should be refunded.”

The speaker subsequently set up a committee headed by Mr Fatal Mojeed (Ibeju Lekki I) to look into the matter and report to the House in due course.

He directed the committee to invite the Accountant General of the state, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and others that were involved to state their roles in the purchase.

He also told the committee to invite the current Commissioner for Finance, the Managing Director of LAMATA and others.