N17bn Gate scandal: Obasa breaks silence, blames 2027 politics for allegation

Obasa

Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday dismissed allegations of spending N17 billion on the construction of a gate for the Assembly, describing the claims as spurious and absurd.

A group identifying itself as the Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition had alleged that the Assembly allocated the amount for a gate and called for an investigation into the matter.

Addressing the allegations during a plenary session, Obasa attributed the claims to political fears surrounding the 2027 elections, which remain over two years away.

“It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in the whole year that we will decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended 200 million on thanksgiving that did not hold.

“We are aware that at a period like this, when we are approaching elections in 2027, we should expect such things. I think some people are scared, and I don’t know why.

“This House did not and has not embarked on any such project. We are not that reckless. We had our thanksgiving last Friday, and dignitaries from various parts of the state attended it,” Obasa said.

The Speaker also responded to accusations of spending N200 million on the recently held 22nd thanksgiving service for Assembly staff, refuting the claim outright.

On allegations of a connection with the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, Obasa categorically denied attending Olukoyede’s screening and confirmation by the National Assembly.

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“They said that I was at the National Assembly when they were confirming the EFCC chairman. I want to believe that there are CCTV cameras at the National Assembly to identify those who attended the event. The press must have written about it too. So the group should do more to confirm if I was there.

“This is just to deny the allegations in the interest of the public and not the writers because the writers are not those we should be joining words with,” the Speaker added.

Earlier, the Assembly’s spokesperson, Stephen Ogundipe, issued a statement reiterating the House’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability.

“It is ludicrous, the claim about constituency intervention funds and constituency project funds and their handling by Obasa and Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, as claimed by the group.

“One would have expected a self-acclaimed anti-corruption crusading group to do its groundwork before jumping across the fence with the conviction that it hit a jackpot to malign an institution of repute in the name of politics.

“Simply put, the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any such funds. The Assembly does not embark on constituency projects. Instead, once every year, the House holds stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously across the state where constituents have the opportunity to tell the lawmakers their expectations and make requests for the betterment of the state.

“These requests and expectations are compiled and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration as inputs in subsequent budgets. If this is what the group takes as constituency intervention or project funds, we are sure this explanation has given the required education. Moreover, it is common knowledge that it is the responsibility of the Executive arm to execute such projects,” Ogundipe said.