BREAKING: LASG Reacts to Alleged Approval of N3.75bn for Perfume, Fans, Others for Sanwo-Olu, Deputy

• The Lagos state government has denied allegations of an outrageous budget earmarked to purchase perfumes and rechargeable fans for the governor and his deputy
• The Lagos State Public Procurement Agency on Tuesday, November 21, released an official document to debunk earlier claims
• The documents addressed all the funds earmarked for each item, contrasting with the allegations on social media

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil society, courts, and metro

Ikeja, Lagos - The Lagos state government has responded to allegations of approving N7.5 million to replace liquid fragrance in Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's office and N3 billion to purchase rechargeable fans for the office of his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.

Additional accusations involve the allocation of funds by Lagos State's Public Procurement Agency (PPA) during the second and third quarters of 2023.

Read also

Obi's campaign director, Aisha Yesufu, knocks Alex Otti for lavishing N927m on refreshments, others

The allegations

As reported by Vanguard, this includes the approval of over N440 million for acquiring a new bulletproof Lexus LX 600 Sport Utility Vehicle for use by the Chief of Staff.

Furthermore, the Chief of Staff's office received N18.5 million for procuring and distributing 2,000 Noiler chickens across various local government areas and wards within the state.

Records on social media indicate that the government also sanctioned N152 million to restore the water supply at the Iduganran palace, the official residence of the Oba of Lagos.

According to the disclosed document, the state is set to allocate N581 million to renovate Saint Andrews Anglican Church in the Oke-Popo area.

Similarly, the records highlight that the deputy governor's office was granted N30 million for the monthly outreach to indigent citizens by the deputy governor's wife and an additional N30 million designated for an empowerment program.

Read also

Outrage as Sanwo-Olu reportedly approves N73.1m for Tinubu’s portrait, N44m for vegetables

LASG responds to allegations

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency released a statement on Tuesday, November 21, to debunk the allegations.

The statement by the agency's director-general, Mr Fatai Idowu Onafowote, disclosed that the rumoured figures making the rounds on social media were untrue.

He said:

"Our attention has been drawn to recent concerns regarding certain information posted on the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency's website. Acknowledging the misunderstandings arising from a lack of clarity, we recognize the unintended misinterpretations of this information.

"The Agency is committed to ensuring transparency, accuracy, and accountability in all government transactions, as mandated by the Lagos State Public Procurement Law.

"We regret that specific details, particularly concerning the descriptions of government dealings, may have inadvertently led to confusion, impacting both governmental entities and corporate partners providing services to the State."

Giving further clarity on the controversy, the agency cleared the air on some of the funds earmarked for items like perfumes and rechargeable fans in a document attached to its official statement.

Read also

BREAKING: Lagos deputy governor reportedly reacts to alleged N2bn for ‘rechargeable fans’

The agency noted in item 15 that the over N7 million earmarked for perfumes was not limited to the governor alone but to other individuals working in different offices in the state house, which covers the entire calendar year.

Similarly, the fresh document clarified the procurement of reachable fans, rumoured to have been contracted for over N2 billion.

The document attached to the statement, as seen by Legit.ng revealed that the amount earmarked for reachable fans was just N2 million.

Sanwo-Olu reportedly approves N73.1m for Tinubu’s portrait, N44m for vegetables

In another report, it was alleged that the Lagos state government approved N73.1 million for the official portraits of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu.

Additionally, N44.8 million was allocated for clearing vegetables in the Epe Mixed Development Scheme and N80.8 million for procuring ten foreign-used vehicles, among others.

Funso Doherty, a rival of Governor Sanwo-Olu in the 2023 election, initiated the expenditure scrutiny after raising concerns about public procurement awards.

Source: Legit.ng