Lagos fearfully removes Fashola"s budget spending from website

The Lagos State Government has removed the list of contracts awarded under the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Governor Fashola

The list which was published on the website of the state’s Public Procurement Agency,www.lagosppa.gov.ng, stated that Fashola’s administration spent N78.3m on his personal website,www.tundefashola.com, in 2014.

The list further stated that Fashola spent N139m on the drilling of two boreholes at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

However, checks by our correspondent on Monday showed that the section which lists all the contracts awarded under Fashola’s administration between 2013 and 2014 could no longer be accessed.

The website of the PPA was inaugurated by Fashola on July 15, 2013.

According to Fashola, the website is aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, accountability and value for money in the area of public procurement and asset disposal through the enactment of the Public Procurement Law, 2011, and the establishment of the requisite agency.

He had stated during the inauguration of the website that the details of contracts awarded by the government would be published periodically on the website.

Reacting to the development, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders said secrecy was one of the trademarks of the state government.

CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said that was why the state government failed to implement the Freedom of Information Act.

He said, “The development gives credence to the belief that the state government’s activities are shrouded in secrecy. They believe that the government is a cult and only the initiates should have information.

“It is for this reason that the Freedom of Information Act has been frustrated by state governments, especially Lagos. Such websites are only accessible when the state government’s have some interests to serve.”

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Mr. Habib Aruna, said he was not aware that the details of the executed contracts under Fashola had been removed from the website.

He, however, promised to investigate the matter.

Calls made to Fashola’s spokesperson, Hakeem Bello, rang out. He had also yet to respond to a text message sent to his telephone.

NAIJA CENTER NEWS investigation revealed that the address  46, AJANAKU STREET, OPEBI – IKEJA

Admin City: LAGOS provided by the alleged Info Access Plus Limited as its official address is an estate for residential use.

Our correspondent who visited the address found many policemen at the gate while some gate-men were seen walking around.

 

Lagos fearfully removes Fashola"s budget spending from website

N78m Website Upgrade: Leaders who run elitist, oppressive and draconian government are pigs - CACOL replies Fashola

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders on Saturday took a swipe at the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, describing his administration as draconian and anti-people.

Governor Fashola

The activist group was reacting to Fashola’s condemnation of its call on President Muhammadu Buhari not to consider the ex-governor for appointment for his alleged mismanagement of state funds.

CACOL said the Fashola-led administration was engulfed in several controversies which could not be overlooked.

Fashola had come under fire after the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency posted a report on its website, stating that N78.3m was paid to a firm, Info Access Plus Limited, for the upgrade of his website, www.tundefashola.com, through the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor.

The ex-governor had last week defended the decision by his government to spend N78.3m on the upgrade of the website in a five-page letter he personally signed, in which he admitted that the money was actually spent on his website.

Fashola also berated CACOL, in his letter titled ‘When you wrestle with a pig, the pig gets happy and you get dirty,’ for dragging him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and for calling on President Buhari not to give him a political appointment.

Fashola said, “I cannot conclude without responding to the crusade of CACOL and their ilk seeking my prosecution on allegations that have no proof and writing pre-emptive letters to the Presidency.

“In case they are unaware, I am not looking for a job. I expect them to know that allegations of wrongdoing are not resolved without evidence, neither are they resolved in press conferences.”

However, the Executive Chairmain of CACOL, in a statement titled, ‘We Don’t Mind Wrestling With The Pig As Long As It Produces The Pork,’ on Saturday, said if the former governor could justify the cost of his personal website, no matter what he used it for, then there might be many more shenanigans to be unearthed by the relevant anti-graft agencies.

He said, “The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines a “pig” as an unpleasant or offensive person; a person who is dirty or greedy. Based on this premise, leaders who deliberately run elitist, oppressive and draconian government can only be described by no other name, but pigs.

“A government that causes so much hardship to the largest stratum of the socio-economic ladder, whereas it engages in obscene affluence all in the name of white elephant projects that have no direct bearing on the suffering Lagosians, is nothing but a pig.

“It will be foolhardy for a man who requires pork to say he wouldn’t wrestle with a pig. How does he intend to get it? After all it has been said, ‘No willing pig provides pork; whoever desires pork wrestles the pig down for it!’

Adeniran asked of what use was a N78.3m-website when several other developmental needs of people in Lagos were begging for attention.

Adenira further said, “Basically, what concerns us more is the issue of suspected corruption embedded in the award and execution of contracts in the regime of Babatunde Fashola, as illuminated by the award of this N78.3m website contract.

“Every IT person CACOL has contacted put an over-bloated estimate of the cost of the website at about N6m. We are not surprised that a contract that could have cost N6m could be ballooned to N78.3m, because that is a trademark of Mr. Fashola’s administration.

“The website contract is an eye opener and lending credence to the allegations of the ‘True Face of Lagos’ where most of the contracts awarded before 2010 were said to have been immorally inflated by the regime of Babatunde Raji Fashola.”

N78m Website Upgrade: Leaders who run elitist, oppressive and draconian government are pigs - CACOL replies Fashola