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Thursday 13 August 2015

Group Drags Fashola To EFCC Over 'Questionable Expenditures'

The group of Nigerian anti-corruption activists has appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the “questionable expenditures” of the government of Babatunde Fashola, ex- governor of Lagos state.
The Civil Society Network Against Corruption in a petition from August 10 petitioned the EFCC head asking to investigate the controversial N78 million spent on the personal website of former Lagos state governor.
The gap was found by the analytic firm, BudgIT. It disclosed that Fashola approved, before he left office, N78.3 million from the state’s treasury for an upgrade of his personal website.
The contract for the restoration of the site was granted to Info Access Plus Limited by the office of the chief of staff to the ex-governor.
Meanwhile, the company rejected receiving the money, insisting that it was paid N10 million.
In addition to the amount supposedly spent on the website upgrade, the group also advised the anti-graft commission to investigate the N1.2 billion spent on the construction of pedestrian bridges along Eti-Osa – Lekki – Epe expressway “which did not specify the number of bridges.”
Other areas of probable investigation include the N17 million awarded for the provision of wall signage in three magistrate courts; N3.46 billion spent for the construction of a beach resort in Ilase; and N61 million paid out for a Range Rover SUV and two Toyota Hilux trucks as the official vehicle of chief judge of state.
Debo Adeniran, CACOL’s executive director, had noted that several petitions written to the anti-graft commission to probe the different projects in the state in the face of the more than N500 billion debt left by Fashola’s administration was ignored.
Another organisation had also supposed that the state denied to reveal details of the US$200 million World Bank education fund during Fashola’s term.
It should be noted that as the jostling for cabinet posts in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration intensifies, there had been  indications that the immediate past governor Babatude Fashola may have been shortlisted for positions in the administration.
As President Buhari known for his firm anti-corruption position the new revelations may cost him federal appointment.
However, he was predicted either AGF/Minister of Justice, or as minister of works and housing.

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