Obasa: I was not responsible for the N17b spent on Assembly gate
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, responded to accusations that the House spent N17 billion on building a gate, calling the claim ridiculous and amusing. The Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition had made the accusation and called for an investigation.
During a session, Obasa dismissed the claim, saying it was driven by fear about the 2027 elections, which are still over two years away. He also denied the allegation that the House spent N200 million on a thanksgiving event that didn’t even happen.
Obasa said, “It’s funny to think we would spend N17 billion on a gate when our entire yearly budget is much smaller. The claim about spending N200 million on a thanksgiving event that never occurred is equally false. We know that with elections approaching, these kinds of things will come up. Some people seem worried, but I’m not sure why. The House hasn’t done anything like this. We had a thanksgiving service last Friday, and many important people from across the state attended.”
Regarding claims about his connection with the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, Obasa denied attending Olukoyede’s screening by the National Assembly. He suggested the public check CCTV footage and media reports to verify if he was present.
The House’s spokesperson, Stephen Ogundipe, also addressed the accusations, particularly about constituency funds. He called the claims about the Speaker and the Clerk of the House handling these funds ridiculous. Ogundipe emphasized that the House does not manage such funds or run constituency projects. Instead, the House holds annual meetings with constituents, gathers their requests, and sends them to the executive branch to be considered for future budgets. If the group is referring to this process as “constituency intervention funds,” Ogundipe believes this explanation should clarify things. He also pointed out that it’s the executive’s job to implement any projects.
