The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has begun a probe of the Ogun State House of Assembly over alleged misappropriation of funds.
The Speaker of the House, Olakunle Oluomo, said this on Sunday while featuring on a Radio programme, Sunday Morning Live on FM in response to a question from one of the listeners.
It was learnt that the EFCC wrote the Assembly requesting information on all budget appropriations and allocations of the House from May 30, 2015, to date.
He said the probe became necessary because of a petition from one of the Assembly members. He, however, did not mention who the petitioner is.
Oluomo stated: “We have an issue in the House, somebody, a member of the house wrote a letter through his lawyer asking that we give him some information. And we told the lawyer that you’re not EFCC, you don’t have the right to ask that question. Our account is being audited.
“Probably the person is not satisfied and he wrote a letter to the EFCC. The EFCC wrote to us. Unfortunately, the letter came during the strike. But in my own stride, I just called the clerk of the house to reply to them that our staff are on strike and immediately they resume, we will give them all the information required.
“They are asking for information from 2015, I wasn’t at the helms of affairs since 2015 to 2019.
“There is one information I want the people of Ogun State to know, Ogun State House of Assembly is not autonomous. We are given a specific amount of money, which is our salaries and allowances. We don’t take anything more than that. And it is the same amount which the house had been collecting since 2015 that we are still collecting now, the same with allowances. We don’t have the money to squander in the house.
“The money that is given to us is our allowance and running cost, which is already templated. This template I am talking about was there before I even thought of coming to the house. There is no way you will take one Kobo from one item to another.
“That is why when they said EFCC wrote to us, I said good for us. Write them back that our staff are on strike and they are the custodian of all the documents.
“The moment they resumed, they are working now day and night. I have even approved money for them to buy stationeries and repair photocopiers to put everything together and send to EFCC. I challenge EFCC to do their job thoroughly on Ogun State House of Assembly. We don’t have anything to hide. We are not thieves.”
