Angered by an expose on how the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, allocates N10m public finds to one of his three wives under
Angered by an expose on how the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, allocates N10m public finds to one of his three wives under the guise of gender inclusiveness programme for women, the speaker report, on Monday sanctioned the redeployment of some senior staff of the Assembly believed to have been behind the leakage of information.
According to SaharaReporters, the programme, would be headed by his wife, who would also be in charge of the funds. In a letter written by the Clerk of the House ordering the release of the funds, the monthly allocation would be for the establishing of a grassroots support programme, which will be centred on socio-economic and political programmes to be coordinated by wives of legislators at the various constituencies.
However, checks revealed that no programme around socio-economic and political activities was established at various constituencies. Wives of lawmakers interviewed claimed not to know of the allocation or receipt of any such amount from the Speaker’s wife. They also denied having knowledge of the establishment of any socio-economic and political programmes at their constituencies. They added that only two meetings have been held between 2018 and now.
Angered by the report, Obasa on Monday sanctioned the redeployment of some senior staff of the Assembly believed to have been behind the leakage of the information. Among those redeployed are Mrs Afolabi-Rufai Moriam Abiola, Chief Admin and HR Officer, who was moved from Employee Relations to LAHASCOM; Akinpelu Olabisi Ajokeade (Mrs), an Assistant Chief Finance and Accounts Officer, was moved from Employee Benefits to LALBRO.
Others are Abolaji Muinat Tanwa, an Assistant Chief Finance and Accounts Officer, was moved from FIS to Budget Planning and Statistics Directorate; Omitaomu Liafisi Ekundayo, Principal Finance and Accounts Officer, was also moved from FIS to Budget Planning and Statistics Directorate; and Sadiq Shade Shakirat, Senior Admin and HR Officer, was moved from Library to Learning and Development. Dosunmu Olanike Saidat nee Sarumi, Senior Finance and Accounts Officer, was moved from Employee Benefits to Budget Planning and Statistics Directorate.
And also, Ogunbadejo Adedayo Temitope, Senior Finance and Accounts Officer, was moved from Finance and Accounts Directorate to Budget Planning and Statistics Directorate; Gbadamosi Gbenga Michael, Senior Finance and Accounts Officer, was moved from Employee Benefits to LALBRO; Onumonu Adama Esther, a Senior Auditor, was moved from Internal Audit Unit to LAHASCOM, Morakinyo Stephen Olaolu, Finance and Accounts Officer II, was moved from Budget Expenditure Control to LALBRO; Idowu Olubusayo, a Finance and Accounts Officer II, was moved from Budget Expenditure Control to LAHASCOM, and Ogunmekan Shakirat Olajumoke, a Prin. Finance and Account Officer 1, was moved from Employee Benefits to Budget Planning and Statistics Directorate.
Commenting on the redeployment, a key officer in the state Assembly said those moved were those the Lagos Speaker suspected he does not have close relationship with and could leak his corrupt activities to the public.
“Hon. Obasa pressed the panic button with the redeployment of principal staff of the Assembly’s Finance Department. The Speaker who has been in the eye of the storm in the recent past for his financial malfeasance and abuse of office accused the account officers in the Assembly of leaking confidential documents to the public. Those redeployed were suspected persons in key finance department in the Assembly,” the source said.
Before the latest revelation, the Lagos Speaker has been known to use a number of companies registered under different names to execute contracts and siphon public funds.
