Wale JAGUN
Wale Oluwo, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources in Lagos State under the immediate past governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has denied receiving any invitation from the state House of Assembly.
THE IMPACT , last week, reported that Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly , had directed that the Clerk of the House should invite the ex-governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and four of his commissioners – Mr Kazeem Adeniji (Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice), Olusegun Banjo (Commissioner for Budget), Akinyemi Ashade (Commissioner for Finance), and Wale Oluwo (Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources) to answer questions concerning the purchase of 820 buses during their administration.
This followed two preliminary reports presented by two different ad-hoc committees set up by the House to investigate the purchase of the buses and to appraise the 2019 mid-year budget.
Presenting the preliminary report of the nine-man ad-hoc committee to probe the 820 buses purchased by the former governor, chairman of the committee, Hon Fatai Mojeed, said that it was discovered that due process was not followed in the purchase of the buses.
The Speaker,therefore, directed that if the former governor and commissioners refuse to honour the invitation, the Assembly would place advertisement in the newspapers concerning the issue and thereafter issue warrants for their arrest.
However, in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the former Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Wale Oluwo, denied receiving any invitation, either oral, verbal, written or virtual, to that effect.
“On October 10, 2019, the Lagos State House of Assembly, while debating the Reports of its Committees set up to investigate the purchase of 820 buses by the immediate past administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, passed a Resolution threatening to issue Arrest Warrants to compel my appearance before its Committees.
“The House Resolution, which was made public in the electronic, print and social media, seemed to have concluded that I had willfully or tacitly avoided appearing before the Committees of the House of Assembly. I wish to state categorically that no invitation, oral or written, physical or virtual, was extended to me in person or through a third party, either directly or by substituted means, to any of my official and residential addresses, phone numbers or emails.
“I wish to put it on record that I have proudly served my State (Lagos State) with utmost diligence, integrity and in line with my oath of office. Let it be known that I have absolutely nothing to hide and I am willing and ready to appear before any Committee of the House of Assembly, anytime I receive your invitation to that effect.
“Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem”.
