IKOSI- ISHERI LCDA LEGISLATORS BEGIN INVESTIGATION INTO ONGOING PROJECTS, AS COUNCIL TREASURER, ENGINEER FACE INTERROGATION

 

 

Ikosi-Isheri LCDA legislative council has finally commenced investigation into execution of all ongoing projects in the council from January 2020 till date by the council chairperson Princess Samiat Bada.

 

The legislative council had during its previous plenary on March 11^th, requested the council treasurer, Mrs. Yemisi Sobowale; the council engineer, Mrs. Effoyota Victoria and the Special Adviser to the council chairperson on works and Infrastructures Mr. Rilwan Akinwale to appear before it on march 16^th to clarify issues relating to all ongoing projects in the council.

 

However, while the Council Treasurer and the Council Engineer were able to appear before the legislative council, the special adviser on works and infrastructures Mr. Akinwale was conspicuously absent.

 

No reason was adduced for his absence, but it was strongly believed in some quarter that he may had been advised against appearing before the legislative council by the embattled camp of Princess Bada.

 

Making her appearance before the legislative council, the council treasurer Mrs. Yemisi Sobowale when asked by the Leader of the House Hon. Akanni Usman to furnish the legislative council total first line charges, she averred that going by the dictate of her profession, she was not in the best position to furnish the legislative council the particular figure being requested for, stressing that she is not the chief accounting officer of the LCDA.

 

She said it is the council chairperson, Princess Samiat Bada, the legislative council should have instead directed the question to as she is the Chief Accounting officer of the council who by the virtue of her position has the onus of providing account of stewardship while she only has the onus of providing accurate figure but on the order of the chairperson.

 

She added that before she could even venture into providing the figure at all, the councils chairperson has to be invited by the legislative council to render account, while she would only have to corroborate the account of the chairperson with figures.

 

She therefore appealed to the legislative council to do the needful if they truly want to unravel how the council’s funds were being spent by inviting the council chairperson to the investigative hearing or writing a letter requesting the council chairperson to ask her to furnish them the needed details.

 

Mrs. Sobowale also told the legislative council that since assuming office as the new council treasurer she was totally in the dark on the financial transactions going on in the council as she was not given handover documents by the acting council treasurer.

 

 She said it was the council chairperson who have been telling her who to pay and what amount to pay. She however stated that she had been very meticulous in executing payments has she made sure that any request for payment made are backed with documents and are properly signed.

 

She said for instance after resuming as the new council treasurer, she paid staff salaries before disbursing impress while noting that she still had two bank cheques with her which she had refused to pay because there were no voucher for them.

 

 

Whereas, the Council engineer Mrs. Effoyota Victoria while appearing before the Legislative council denied knowledge of any ongoing road project in the LCDA since assuming office as the new council engineer early this year.

 

She said the only projects she was aware of are the council’s secretariat and the market which the council chairperson took her to inspect.

 

And while stating that she had been given handover documents by the previous council engineer, she said she had not gone through the documents as department transfer had not taken place, yet.

 

She also disclosed that due to the directive of state government for civil servants from level 1 to 12 to work from home, she was only familiar with only one level 13 worker in the department.

 

The legislative council after quizzing the council treasurer and engineer made it known to them to go back to their respective departments to tidy up their documents and come back at the next plenary with the contractors on a date that would be communicated to them.

 

They noted that the investigation into the issues of all ongoing projects in the LCDA is part of their oversight function which was elicited by the recent visit of the Lagos state house of Assembly committee on Local Government to the council.

 

 

 

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