Doherty alleges fee by Lagos govt to Sanwo-Olu’s attorneys, seeks probe

Funsho Doherty, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) within the Lagos State’s 2023 governorship election, has demanded a probe into an alleged fee of N200 million by the state authorities to attorneys who dealt with private partisan circumstances of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

He demanded that an impartial particular investigator be appointed to hold out the probe.

Mr Doherty made the demand on Monday in a brand new letter to the state authorities over its spendings.

Within the new letter, Mr Doherty requested the federal government to elucidate why the Ministry of Justice awarded contracts totalling N200 million to 4 legislation corporations for authorized illustration in partisan circumstances which might be private to Governor Sanwo-Olu.

He additionally directed further inquiries to the Lagos State Public Procurement Company over its response to his earlier letter.

“In mild of the apparent irregularity of such awards, and the obvious involvement of the Justice Ministry, I hereby recommend that an impartial particular investigator be appointed to look at this particular matter and report findings to the general public,” he wrote within the new letter dated 27 November..

Background

Final week, the ADC candidate made headlines and sparked conversations on social media when he wrote an open letter to Mr Sanwo-olu, demanding explanations for spendings by the state authorities within the first and second quarters of this 12 months.

Within the earlier letter, he flagged a N2 billion spending for the availability of rechargeable followers, lights and fridge within the workplace of the deputy governor as nicely an N18.5 million for the availability and distribution of two,000 Noiler rooster throughout the native authorities areas and wards within the state, awarded to the workplace of the chief of workers to the governor.

He additionally flagged contracts and authorities spendings he thought of to be wasteful in The Lagos Lotteries and Gaming Authority and the Blue Rail Line, amongst others.

However in his response, the deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, mentioned his workplace obtained N2 million and never N2 billion quoted in Mr Doherty’s letter.

The procurement company additionally mentioned there was a “misunderstanding arising from a scarcity of readability.”

The company’s Director-Basic, Fatai Onafowote, then despatched a line-by-line response to the gadgets raised in Mr Doherty’s letter.

However Mr Doherty mentioned he was not satisfied by the reasons revamped about 34 of the 45 gadgets responded to. Within the remaining 11 gadgets, he responded both with ‘That is Famous’ or ‘No additional remark’.

In the meantime, within the different 34 gadgets, Mr Doherty both maintained his preliminary query with ‘Our remark is maintained’ or adopted the procurement company’s response with further questions and feedback.

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A few of the gadgets he didn’t present further feedback on embody the N7 million funds for the alternative of perfume within the workplace of the governor, which procurement company mentioned covers all the 2023 and isn’t restricted to the governor’s workplace however extends to a number of workplaces and state homes.

On the N20 million spent for the ornament of the venue for political delegates convention, the procurement company defined that the occasion was a strategic programme aimed toward fostering interplay and collaboration between elected legislators and members of the state govt council.

In the meantime, on the N531 million budgeted for the renovation of Saint Andrews Anglican Church, Oke-Popo, the procurement company defined that the church is a major historic landmark within the state having been established in 1889. The company added that the quantity contains compensation given to the church for the mandatory demolition of sections of its property resulting from highway growth.

Mr Doherty, nevertheless, urged that such must also apply broadly and equitable to different designated heritage websites within the state.

The photographs under are the road by line responses by Mr Doherty to the Lagos State Procurement Company.