Chinelo Obogo
A pro-democracy group, Coalition Against Corruption (CAC), has backed the Lagos State House of Assembly over the invitation it extended to the immediate past governor, Akinwumi Ambode, to appear before it to clarify some issues concerning his administration.
The group in a statement from its convener, Prince Dare Aladekoba, said, it is within the constitutional duties of the legislature to summon any individual or group to answer questions on issues that are of public interest.
Aladekoba, who however said the invitation was not to be seen as a witch hunt, added that some organisations had been clamouring for the probe of the immediate past administration with a view to clarifying some knotty issues concerning the state finances under it.
According to him, Ambode should honour the invitation to clear his administration and those who worked with him, saying, it was the unanimous decision of all the people in the state to know what transpired during his four years in office viz-a-viz the state finances.
The group further added that, besides, the Lagos State House of Assembly’s efforts at getting to the root of how the finance of the state was handled under the period in question, other relevant anti-corruption agencies in the country like the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), should also wade in to ensure that the state money in the purse of individuals or groups was refunded to the state cover.
The coalition therefore advised Ambode to make himself available for the exercise, saying the whole Nigerians were looking forwards to listening to him and others so invited.