Hon Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly
HURMA Seeks Lagos Speaker’s Investigation Over Alleged Financial Recklessness, Abuse of Office
A rights group, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) has called the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to direct its searchlight on the Speaker of Lagos State Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, who it alleged to be enmeshed in financial misconduct and abuse office.
HURMA also wants the Speaker investigated on alleged criminal breach of public trust.
The request of the human rights group contained in a petition to the chairman of the anti-graft agency, which an acknowledged copy was emailed to Newsdishng.com
HURMA through its Executive Director, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, said the call for the Speaker’s investigation by the EFCC became necessary, due to outcry by majority of Lagosians and members of the public.
HURMA’s petition dated March…., 2020 and captioned: “petition against Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa on gross financial misconduct, criminal breach of public trust and abuse of office”, stated that the EFCC Investigation will also avert further bleeding of the public treasury under the Speaker’s care and restore sanity in the functioning of the State legislative arm of government.
HURMA’s petition against the Speaker reads in parts: “The Human Rights Monitoring Agenda is a body committed to equity and justice in its service to humanity.
“Further to a popular demand by some members of the public to our office, this petition is written to acquaint your agency with the gross financial misconduct and the abuse of office being perpetrated by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, for a thorough investigation so as to avert a further bleeding of the public treasury under his care and restore sanity in the functioning of the states legislative establishment.
“The Speaker’s desecration of his office for which a probe of his activities becomes necessary is in twofold: one, his financial recklessness and cornering of public funds through illegitimate means; and two, the corruption and compromise of laid down procedures and rules deliberately foisted on the workforce of the Assembly.
“Below are some of the cases for which your intervention is sought; ‘Purchase of a bullet-proof car at a market value of less than N100 Million (One Hundred Million Naira), and the inflation of its price to N300 Million (Three Hundred Million Naira). Apart from being inflated by a whopping 200%, the purchase of the vehicle was done in a questionable manner contrary to procurement acts. This constitutes a flagrant abuse of office and the exercise of privilege with impunity in a country where majority of the citizens live on less than a dollar a day.
“Unilateral purchase of 40 cars for members of the Assembly with neither prior discussion with members nor official approval by the House. We have it on good authority that the vehicles were imported by a notable politician for a failed political project. The Speaker procured those vehicles and has since refused to either release their papers to the supposed beneficiaries or tender their receipt for retirement into the Assembly’s accounts for obvious reasons as the cost of the vehicles is only known to the Speaker.
“Purchase of 11(eleven) other vehicles without bidding, advertisement and rules and regulations guiding procurement or legislative approval. This is disdain for public accountability and established checks and balances.
“Use of fictitious companies as fronts for cornering public contracts and fleecing of public funds. The most notorious of these companies is a certain De-Kingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited with CAC No: RC 748741 where all his six children are shareholders. A probe of the businesses of the House since his leadership should reveal how notoriously Obasa has been breaching public trust by diverting contracts and projects into companies of his interest with the active connivance of the clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni Adebowale.
“Compromise of operational procedures, creation of an extra-legal hierarchy and privileging cronies at the expense of the system. This is by far the greatest calamity to befall the Lagos State House of Assembly under Obasas watch. Regulatory procedures have been in most cases set aside with the connivance of the Clerk of the House with the ill-intent of carrying out governmental business for private gains and as a private concern. With this tactics, Obasa created an extra-legal hierarchy within the workforce of the States Assembly where his cronies (including a concubine of his popularly called Madam Speaker) reign supreme. It was on good authority that the girl named Nike Ajibose was promoted to level 9 without promotional exams because of immoral relationship with the Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, she recently traveled to United Kingdom with N9m of LSHA money not approved but more importantly is the using the girl for money laundering activities”.
The petition reads further that: “the recent allegation of illegal N2.4 billion spent within 11months to purchase 80 cars for 40 members of LSHA must be thoroughly investigated by your establishment that remain the best anti-graft agency in Africa.
“Sir, it is our belief that the actions and activities of Honourable Mudashiru Obasa at the Lagos State House of Assembly is detrimental to the interest of the people of Lagos State and his primary constituency which elected him to serve. It is also breach of public trust and a dent on the anti-corruption drive of the party and the government to which he belongs, hence the need to have him investigated and put him under public scrutiny and account before further damage is done to the collective patrimony of Lagosians.
“It is therefore our demand that such man with questionable character should step down from the position of the Speaker to the Lagos State House of Assembly pending the completion of investigation.
“Hon. Mudashiru Obasa cannot be probing Ex-Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and still be looting the treasury of LSHA. He who must come to equity must come with a clean hand”.