LAGOS: Assembly okays N4b to purchase 355 vehicles for Sanwo-Olu’s aides, others

THE State House of Assembly has approved over N4billion for the purchase of vehicles for political appointees and Ministries, Agencies, and Department (MDA) in the state.

According to the state legislature the funds were approved for the vehicles following the request presented before it by the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

It said the vehicles will boost service delivery and deliver the dividend of democracy to Lagosians.

A breakdown of the funds includes N464, 375,000 million for MDAs vehicles, N1, 395, 300 billion for utility vehicles, and N2.5 billion for newly sworn-in appointees.

It was gathered that the 355 vehicles approved were part of the 916 vehicles needed by various officials of the government and MDAs to perform their activities effectively.

The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, announced the approval yesterday before the House embarked on recess to reconvene next month.

Obasa announced the approval after the House had voted on the report of the Committee on Economic Planning and Budget read by the chairman, Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa Constituency 1.

The Speaker said the vehicles would be used by the government to monitor and other public activities.

Earlier, Yishawu, while delivering the report, told the house that the governor’s request through the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budgeting were in three folds.

According to him, the funds for the procurement would be financed from the budget but through the special expenditure votes allocated for the year.

Yishawu added that the Committee urged the officials of the state government to include purchase of vehicles for government officials in subsequent budgets rather than requesting for purchase of vehicles from special expenditure votes.

He revealed that investigation by the committee revealed that the state government actually needed about 1,006 vehicles but that the governor approved only 355 due to a shortage of fund.

Yishawu said this a week after the House received a letter from the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget seeking approval to expend from the special expenditure to procure vehicles for official use by officials of the MDAs to aid effective and efficient service.