Nigeria: Ogun Assembly Summons Ex-Commissioner, 2 Others Over N93mn Fraud

20 February 2024
Leadership (Abuja)
By Femi Oyeweso

Ogun State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate past commissioner for information and strategy, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, to appear before it to explain how the sum of N92.9 million allocated to his ministry between 2021 till 2022 was expended.

Odusile, alongside the former permanent secretary, Mr. Abiodun Awere and the director of finance and accounts (DFA), who served in the ministry during the period are expected to appear before the Assembly's Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-corruption chaired by Hon. Damilare Bello on Thursday, February 28, 2024 at 1.00pm.

In a directive issued yesterday by the committee's chairman, Hon. Bello, the Assembly said it needed "further clarification" from Odusile on various infractions" regarding N92.9 million released to the ministry from the Governor's Contingency Fund to supplement funds released for the expenditures of the ministry.

Bello said the invitation served on the trio and the DFA (2021/2022) became necessary because "some financial infractions contained in the audit reports for the financial years referred."

The committee chairman stated that the financial records presented by the incumbent permanent secretary, Alhaji Waheed Adesina, for the affected period, was unclear, hence the need to invite the trio for clarification.

The committee also directed the ministry's director of finance and accounts to furnish it with details on the transfer of N2.51 million to individual accounts as contained in the r 2021 Auditor-General Report.

"It was observed from the available records and bank statements of the agency that N2,515,590 was transferred to the personal accounts of Mr. Ojo Emmanuel, the special adviser on media for the purchase of working tools for OGSG New Media Team.

"This was a breach of due process procedure and it is against financial Regulations No. 614. It is advised that funds should be transferred directly to the vendors' bank accounts and not individual personal accounts for the purpose of accountability and transparency".

Responding, Adesina (permanent secretary) assured the committee that efforts were being made to guide against issues raised in the audit report and promised that the ministry would comply with all directives with a view to continually promoting accountability and transparency in the running of the ministry.

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