Alleged misappropriation: We’ll not join issues, our commitment remains best interest for Lagosians – Sanwo-Olu

By Moses Adeniyi

Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said he would not join issues over recent criticisms on social media alleging misappropriation of State funds, saying the focal point of his government remains ensuring that “public good is an asset” that his administration “would continue to respect.”

Sanwo-Olu affirmed the commitment of his government to ensuring the benefits of good service to the people of Lagos on Tuesday at the commissioning of an office edifice for the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) at GRA, Ikeja, the capital of Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu said the iconic project is a proof of the commitment of his government to ensure that the greatest good will be for the greatest number “to make life meaningful and better for our citizens.”

Sanwo-Olu who said as a government that is transparent and responsible, his administration would not shy away from criticisms, but welcome it, however said it becomes problematic when criticisms “are malicious, undefended, and misrepresent the truth.”

“Over the weekend, we saw on social media how some people can politically turn around all of our attempts to be responsible, transparent and committed to good governance. We don’t have a problem with any individual. We, indeed, acknowledged that this is the way it should be. We appreciate the fact that people can look at us in the face and say you need to do well in this area.

“So, We don’t have a problem with the originator of the open letter; in short, we like him and we thank him. Indeed, if we are seen as the Government that is transparent and responsible, we should not be shy of criticism. But, it is only when criticism is malicious and is misrepresenting the truth, that is when there will be a problem.” he said.

“But, it is only when criticism is malicious and is misrepresenting the truth, that is when there will be a problem, and Officers in Lagos State have come out to show that there could be mistakes on some lines of items. There was a particular issue where an item was meant to be N2 million, but was written as N2 billion. There are many discrepancies which have been corrected by PPA. We are not going to join issues with anyone on social media. All we are committed to is continuous service to the people of Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu noted.

However, Sanwo-Olu who said he was not going to join issues on social media, expressed confidence in the State government workforce, saying, “for us, I want to say that we are leading a team of dedicated public officers; I’m leading a team of committed civil servants, and I’m leading a team of self motivated public officers that want to stand and say that they can be above, or they can indeed stand and be recognised with anyone worldwide, and this (refers to new building delivered) is a testament.”

Accroding to him, the new edifice is a public building that has been “judiciously” hinged on budget, and “delivered to see that that’s what we are about in Lagos, that’s what we stand for, that’s what we believe should be the responsibility of the government.”

“And so, we are not going to join issues on social media. All we want to do is to continue to serve the people of Lagos with every iota of strength that we have, every commitment that we have and believing that you Lagosians that we are serving, you can truly see the benefits of our service and I think I just want to make this point and put this to rest,” he added.

The Governor said “the website of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA) from where discrepancies in the figures were quoted from, will continue to work”, mentioning that “we will continue to put all of our numbers there, we would continue to pride ourselves at all times”, while noting that though there could be mistakes, but his government “would continue to ensure that public good is a public asset that we would continue to respect.”

“We pride ourselves to continue to raise the bar of governance. We pride ourselves to ensure that the greatest good will be for the greatest number and that at all times people would come first in everything that we do; people would be the cynosure of every of our commitment and all that we do, and to make life meaningful and better for our citizens, and that commitment you would not find us short on it,” he assured.

Recall, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Sanwo-Olu, was recently criticised widely on social media for allegedly approving N7.5 million to replace liquid fragrance in his office and N3 billion to purchase rechargeable fans for the office of his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.

Also, Nigerians reacted on social media to other contracts awarded by Lagos state’s Public Procurement Agency (PPA) in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2023 which included approval of over N440 million for the purchase of a new Lexus LX 600 Bulletproof Sport Utility Vehicle for use in the pool of Office of Chief of Staff.

The office of the Chief of Staff also got N18.5 million for the supply and distribution of 2,000 Noiler chickens across the local government areas and wards in the State.

According to records posted on Twitter, the government also approved N152 million for the restoration of the water supply at the Iduganran palace, the official residence of the Oba of Lagos.

The document also revealed that the State will earmark N581 million to renovate Saint Andrews Anglican Church in the Oke-Popo area of the state.

In the same vein, the record showed that the office of the deputy governor was awarded N30 million for monthly outreach of indigent citizens by the wife of the deputy governor, while there was another N30 million budgeted for the empowerment programme.

Reacting to the outrageous contracts gulping public funds in the document, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos, Funsho Doherty, wrote an open letter to Governor Sanwo-Olu to review some of the projects.

On the new project commissioned, on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu however said the commissioning of the office building “is a testimony of the premium my government places on the welfare of its staff.”

He said his government is committed to the provision of “a conducive and befitting work place for our officers to effectively and efficiently carry out their assigned responsibilities.”

He mentioned that the edifice would enable the LASBCA, which plays a crucial role in regulating construction activities, ensuring compliance with building standards, and promoting safety in the rapidly growing urban landscape to be further repositioned to effectively discharge its responsibilities in line with the THEMES + agenda for a greater Lagos.

“The newly commissioned office will serve as the nerve center for these vital functions, equipped with modern technology and skilled workforces to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

“In a rapidly evolving city like ours, it is imperative that we have robust mechanisms in place to address the challenges of urbanization. This LASBCA office will be at the forefront of this effort at collaborating with stakeholders, developers, and citizens to create a built environment that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also safe and sustainable.

“You can see that the aesthetic beauty of this environment has been enhanced,” he said.