17th October, 2019
Immediate past Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olawale Oluwo says he never indicted former Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode when he appeared before the Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obada had constituted a nine-man ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Hon. Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju-Lekki I) to probe the procurement of 820 high capacity vehicles, which the Ambode administration under its Bus Reform Initiative (BRI) purchased.
Oluwo acknowledged that he attended the second session of the committee proceedings on October 15 alongside former Commissioner for Agriculture, Toyin Suarau, noting that reports in some sections of the media were not true.
According to him, “Suarau and I were called into the conference room at the same time. The lawmakers asked both of us questions in the open. While Suarau was asked questions about Lagos Rice Mill Project in Imota, I was asked questions about the LED-UK streetlights installation, a UK Exim Bank funded project.”
The former commissioner said it was strange “to read reports that Suarau and Oluwo said many of the projects including Oshodi Transport Interchange and others were never captured in the state budget. This is rather strange.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I reiterate that I did not and could never have indicted former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. I am a committed democrat, a loyal team player and a strong believer in the principle of collective responsibility.”
He, therefore, noted that the reports was completely false and indeed a misrepresentation of the proceedings of the ad-hoc committee of the State House of Assembly.