Former Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and four other former commissioners who served in his administration may soon be arrested by the Nigerian Police.
This follows after the Lagos State House of Assembly threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on him and the ex- commissioners for not following due process in the purchase of the 820 buses which was bought during his administrations.
It was gathered that the House of Assembly decision to arrest them follows after the two ad-hoc committees set up by the House to investigate the purchase of the 820 buses bought by the former governor and to appraise the 2019 mid year budget, presented a preliminary report during Thursday plenary.
The committee led by Fatai Mojeed said it discovered during their investigation that Ambode used the refund of the Paris Club for the purchase of the buses without the approval of the House.
The four commissioners mentioned are Mr Kazeem Adeniji (Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice), Olusegun Banjo (Commissioner for Budget), Akinyemi Ashade (Commissioner for Finance), and Wale Oluwo (Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources).
He said, “He (Ambode) did not inform the House before commencing the purchase of the buses. Over N48 billion was spent on the purchase of the busses and N22 Billion was spent on import duties.
“520 of the buses are still at the seaport.”
Mojeed added that they could not produce budget instrument used for the provision neither could the produce any newspaper which advertised the purchased vehicles.
“They could not produce any newspaper where the purchase of the buses was advertised.
“The committee invited 20 stakeholders, 16 of them complied while four of them refused against the constitutional provision.”
Chairman of the ad-hoc committee on mid year budget review, Gbolahan Yishawu, said the commissioners had refused to appear before the panel after being invited.
Bisi Yusuf who is representing Alimosho Constituency I, said the House has the right to issue warrant of arrest to the individuals on them for refusing to appear before the committee.
Reacting to the issue, Ibrahim Layode, lawmaker representing Badagry Constituency I, suggested that their names be advertised on newspaper, adding that the ex-commissioners would likely come across the publication and honor their invite.
Sanai Agunbiade who is the Majority Leader of the House said, “I want to observe that if they have been invited and refused to show up, we should summon them and if they still refuse, then a warrant of arrest can be issued.
“Now they’ve been invited, we should summon them by using the dailies before going to the extent of issuing an arrest warrant.”
Also speaking, Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the House said, “When this House invites people and they refused to show up, it is like setting a bad precedent for others coming behind.
“The clerk should write them, including the ex-governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, and if they refused, we will do newspaper publications and after that, we will issue a warrant of arrest,” the speaker concluded.
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