My office got N2m, not N2bn for fans, others — Obafemi Hamzat

The office of the Lagos State Deputy Governor has vehemently denied allegations circulating online that it received a staggering N2 billion for the supply of fans, rechargeable lights, and fridges.

The controversy also included claims that the deputy governor’s wife received N30 million monthly for outreach to indigent Lagosians.

A leaked internal memo dated November 20 from the deputy governor’s office, addressed to the Director General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, strongly refuted the claims made by an online report and an open letter from the procurement agency.

The memo, signed by the Director of Finance and Account, Tola Ekemode, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, characterized the online story with the headline “Open letter on selected public procurement by LASG in the period April – Sept 2023” as a “total misrepresentation of facts” and labeled it as “untrue, mischievous, fake, and unfounded.”

The deputy governor’s office has urged the procurement agency to take swift action in correcting the narrative, emphasizing the need for the public to be provided with an accurate account of what was approved for the Office of the Deputy Governor.

According to the memo, the reported sum of N2,017,840,000 for the supply items was corrected to N2,017,840 (Two Million, Seventeen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Naira). The office clarified that the reported N30 million monthly expenditure on outreach to indigents by the Deputy Governor’s wife actually covered the entire year, amounting to N2,500,000 per month.

Expressing displeasure with the situation, the memo concluded by urging the procurement agency to address the issue promptly, ensuring that the public receives an accurate portrayal of the facts.

The deputy governor emphasized the importance of thorough verification before publishing critical stories to prevent baseless accusations tarnishing the office’s reputation.