Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Thursday dissociated his administration from the N15.8bn expenditure on roads construction within six months.
Abiodun said the huge amount was used for the construction and rehabilitation of roads in the state during the immediate past administration.
The governor, who said this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, explained that the said amount was expended by the last administration between January and June this year.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Kayode Ademolake, was quoted to have told members of the state House of Assembly Committee on Works, who were on an oversight visit to his office that the state government spent the N15.8bn in six months.
According to the statement, Abiodun resumed office in May this year and could not have awarded any of the contracts listed by the permanent secretary.
“Our attention has been drawn to a malicious, libelous and patently misleading publication, suggesting that the Ogun State government spent N15.8bn on the rehabilitation and construction of roads.
“The headline has misled people into believing that the cost was incurred by the present administration.
“That is not true. The amount quoted was incurred by the previous administration – between January and June this year.
“Mr Kayode Ademolake, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works, who made the disclosure should have taken responsibility for this humongous expenditure as the chief accounting officer and permanent secretary while playing host to members of the Ogun House of Assembly Committee on Works.
“Prince Dapo Abiodun took oath of office on May 29 and didn’t award any of the contracts showcased by the permanent secretary during the oversight meeting. He was only 48 hours on the saddle at the beginning of June, the last month under review.
“While dissociating our government from rapacious contracts, please be reassured that rule of law, probity and accountability shall govern our conduct in handling the commonwealth of Ogun State.”