Lagos Deputy Governor Reacts To Reported N2 Billion Spent On Rechargeable Fans
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has denied that his office received more than N2 billion for the rechargeable fans
I received N2 million for rechargeable fans, not N2 billion. Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, speaks out
Obafemi Hamzat, the deputy governor of Lagos State, has denied the Public Procurement Agency's assertion that his office received N2 billion to buy refrigerators, rechargeable fans, and lights.
In a memo to the procurement agency's director general, Hamzat stated that N2 million had been approved for the project. Furthermore, he asserted that his spouse received N2.5 million each month for her empowerment and outreach to the impoverished, while the agency only received N30 million.
Recall that Hamzat, the deputy governor of the state, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu faced criticism for approving N2 billion to buy rechargeable fans for Hamzat's office and N7.5 million to replace the liquid fragrance in Sanwo-Olu's office.
Nonetheless, Hamzat claimed that the agency's report was false, nefarious, phony, and unjustified in a memo signed by Director of Finance and Accounts Tola Ekemode on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the deputy governor's office.
“It is important to state that truly, the office did get approval and awarded the provision of supply items (rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridges) for the sum of N=2,017,840 (Two Million, Seventeen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Naira) as against the N=2,017,840,000 (Two Billion, Seventeen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira as reported by Doherty in his purported letter.
“In addition, the report that the office through the Wife of the Deputy Governor spent =N=30,000,000 monthly for outreach to indigents is inaccurate as the amount stated covered the whole year, it is =N=2,500,000 per month. Same for the Empowerment programme by the Wife of the Deputy Governor which also =N=2,500,000 per month as against =N=30,000,000 monthly reported," read the memo.
He urged the agency to act quickly to resolve the matter by providing the public with an accurate picture of what was authorized. “The Office of the Deputy Governor wishes to make it clear that the report is false, deceptive, fraudulent, and unfounded, for your immediate attention as well as the attention of millions of readers.”
“We are compelled to write this letter due to the inaccuracies it conveyed; as the story was completely different and not a true reflection of what we have in our records. Also, we would not allow some individual(s) and journalists with mischievous inclination to bring the personality and name of the Deputy Governor, his wife and the office to disrepute,” he said.
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