The Ogun State House Assembly has summoned the immediate past Commissioner for Information and Strategy, in the State, Waheed Odusile for clarification of some financial infractions contained in the 2021 and 2022 audit reports of the ministry.
The Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-Corruption, Damilare Bello, issued the directive on Monday in Abeokuta, while considering the ministry’s auditor’s reports for 2021 and 2022, as presented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Waheed Adesina.
The Assembly also summoned a former Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Awere, and the Director of Finance and Accounts, who served in the Ministry between the years under review.
Bello, in company with other members of the committee, submitted that the invited officials were expected to appear before the committee on February 29 at 1 pm.
He added that they were to provide further information on various infractions regarding N92.9 million released to the ministry from the governor’s contingency fund to supplement funds released for the expenditures of the ministry.
The lawmaker also directed the Ministry’s Director of Finance and Accounts to furnish the Committee with further details on the transfer of N2.51 million to individual accounts as contained in the 2021 Auditor General Report.
”It was observed from the available records and bank statements of the Agency that over N2.5million was transferred to the personal accounts of Mr Ojo Emmanuel, Special Adviser on Media to the governor for the purchase of working tools for government New Media Team”.
“This was a breach of due process procedure and it is against financial Regulations No. 614.
“It is advised that funds should be transferred directly to the vendors’ bank accounts and not individual personal accounts for the purpose of accountability and transparency,” he said.
Bello equally directed the Director, Finance and Accounts, to provide the committee with the Ministry’s up-to-date fixed asset register while requesting the submission of the cash inflows and outflows.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Adesina, assured the committee that efforts had been made to guide against issues raised in the audit report.
He promised that the ministry would comply with all directives with a view to continually promoting accountability and transparency in the running of the ministry.