‘Lagos has nothing to hide,’ Sanwo-Olu speaks on procurement controversy

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said on Tuesday the controversy surrounding the procurement process in the state was unnecessary.

The governor, who spoke while inaugurating the newly built operational headquarters of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) in Ikeja, said the state had nothing to hide in its public expenditure.

Sanwo-Olu was reacting to the controversy generated by a letter written by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos, Funsho Doherty, on the records of public expenditure records released by the state Public Procurement Agency (PPA).

Doherty had in the letter addressed to the governor alleged that the state government allocated about N4 billion on luxury items such as duffers, refrigerators, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), and fans, among others.

However, the state’s Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has dismissed the claim that his office got over N2 billion for the supply of rechargeable fans and lights as well as fridges.

The Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, also alleged at the weekend that Sanwo-Olu spent the total sum of N200 million belonging to the state to defend his victory in the March 18 election in court.

At Tuesday’s event, Sanwo-Olu said his administration would continue to value objective criticism.

He lamented that some critics hid their malicious intentions under the guise of playing political opposition to misrepresent facts.

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The governor said: “Over the weekend, we saw on social media how some people can politically turn around all of our attempts to be responsible, transparent, and committed to good governance.

“We don’t have a problem with any individual. We, indeed, acknowledged that this is the way it should be. We appreciate the fact that people can look at us in the face and say you need to do well in this area.

“We don’t have a problem with the originator of the open letter; in short, we like him and we thank him. Indeed, if we are seen as a government that is transparent and responsible, we should not be shy of criticism.

“But, it is only when criticism is malicious and is misrepresenting the truth, that is when there will be a problem.

”Officers in Lagos State have come out to show that there could be mistakes on some lines of items. There was a particular issue where an item was meant to be N2 million but was written as N2 billion.

”There are many discrepancies which have been corrected by PPA. We are not going to join issues with anyone on social media. All we are committed to is continuous service to the people of Lagos.”

Sanwo-Olu said Lagos had maintained open books for checks and balances, adding that the state had judiciously appropriated funds for projects and services that benefited the residents.

“I lead a team of dedicated public officers, civil servants, and a self-motivated team of officials that will always stand tall with anyone across the world.

“The building we are opening today is a testament to our commitment to responsible public service.

“This is a building that has been built on time within the budget and judicious expenditure. This is what we stand for in Lagos,” he concluded.

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