The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), an anti-corruption coalition in Nigeria, has sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) demanding that the anti-graft agency should look into the questionable expenditures of the immediate past administration in Lagos, led by Babatunde Fashola.
According to the petition dated 10th August and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, the coalition called for the probe of a sum of N78 million disbursed under controversial circumstances for Fashola’s personal website.
The issue had generated public outrage last weekend after analytic firm, BudgIT, revealed that Fashola approved, before he left office, N78.3 million from the state’s treasury for an upgrade of his personal website.
The contract for the refurbishment of the website was awarded to Info Access Plus Limited by the office of the Chief of Staff to the former governor.
However, Access Plus insisted that it was only paid a sum of N10 million.
In addition to the amount purportedly spent on the website upgrade, the coalition further asked EFCC to probe the N1.2 billion spent on the construction of pedestrian bridges along Eti-Osa – Lekki – Epe expressway “which did not specify the number of bridges.”
“Other areas of possible probe include the N17 million awarded for the provision of wall signage in three magistrate courts; N3.46 billion spent for the construction of a beach resort in Ilase; and N61 million disbursed for a Range Rover SUV and two Toyota Hilux trucks as the official vehicle of Chief Judge of State,” the group said.
The group also charged the EFCC to probe Fashola’s spending of N85 million for the repair and replacement of street signs; N330 million spent on the development of the residence of Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the immediate past deputy governor; and N94 million spent on printer consumables.
“CSNAC is hereby requesting that these allegations against the former governor of Lagos State be thoroughly investigated and the falsity or verity proven,” said Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman, CSNAC.
“We would like to believe that this petition would be given utmost attention as speculations in the media and among the general public is that members of the governing party currently enjoy special consideration and therefore not investigated by the anti-corruption agencies.
“This perception, if allowed to fester, will be detrimental and dangerous to the spirit of the new wave in fight against corruption led by the current administration.”
The coalition’s petition follows a similar outcry by another anti-corruption group, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL).
