Ogun Assembly clears ex-Commissioner, others, of fraud

The Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-Corruption, on Wednesday, clarified that the invitation extended to the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Abdul-Waheed Odusile, and the SSA to the Governor on Media, Emmanuel Ojo, was not an indictment but to seek clarifications on the audit report of the Ministry.

The Committee Chairman, in company with other members including Musefiu Lamidi, Dickson Awolaja, Wahab Haruna, Yusuf Amosun, Folawewo Salami, Lawal Samsideen, and Waliu Owode, noted that the sitting was not meant to witch-hunt anybody, but to put the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government on their toes in the prudent management of government resources.

He noted that at the committee’s meeting on Monday, when the invitation was issued, the committee had not indicted anyone but merely considered issues raised in the audit reports to address them.

He said, “On Monday at our last sitting, there was misinformation that this Honourable House has indicted the ex- Commissioner and the SSA (Media), we have not indicted anyone. We have only used the media to invite them for clarification on the Auditor General’s reports in line with our constitutional responsibilities.

“It is important to note that the House has no reason to witch-hunt anyone. We are only making sure the people see our governor working alongside the legislators with the right procedure to achieve all the government’s lofty policies and programmes,” he stated.

He called on the heads of MDAs to work with the Assembly to block all leakages and help promote accountability and transparency in the running of government in the state.