A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has ordered Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the State House of Assembly, to appear before it in connection with the ongoing probe of procurement of 820 buses by the administration of the former governor of the State, Akinwunmi Ambode.
The state House of Assembly accused Ambode of breaching the constitution by investing billions of state’s funds to purchase the 820 buses without the legislative approval. Ambode has neither denied the allegation nor confirmed it, as invitation extended to him by the committee set up by the house to investigate the matter has not been honoured. The house of assembly has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against the former governor if he failed to appear before its committee on Wednesday, October 30, 2019
However, on Tuesday, the former governor instituted a suit against the assembly, contesting the constitutionality of the probe of the buses, which he claimed were procured based on budgetary approval.
In an order dated October 29, 2019 issued by Justice Y.A Adesanya after hearing a motion ex-parte moved by Ambode’s counsel, Tayo Oyetibo, ordered the speaker and other defendants to appear before the court at my 9am on Wednesday October 30. Others include A.A Sanni, clerk of the house,; Fatai Mojeed, chairman of the ad hoc committee set up by the house to probe the procurement, and all members of the committee. They include Gbolahan Yishawu, A.A Yusuff, Yinka Ogundimu, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, M.L Makinde, Kehinde Joseph, T.A Adewale and O.S Afinni.
Justice Adesanya ordered the originating processes and all the accompanying processes filed by the claimant (Ambode) be served on the defendants and subsequently fixed Wednesday October 30, 2019 for hearing of motion for interlocutory injunction.
According to his statement of claim before the court, Ambode said “contrary to deliberate misrepresentation of facts by the lawmakers, the procurement of the 820 buses was well captured in the 2018 appropriation Law which was duly approved by the House.
“In section 1 of the bill, the 1st defendant (House of Assembly) authorised the total budget for the year 2018 to N1,046,121,181,680.00 comprising the sum N347,038,938,872.00 only and N699,082,242,808.00 only as the recurrent and capital expenditures respectively.
“Part of the items authorised by the bill under capital expenditure was: “LAGBUS Public Transport Infrastructure (MEPB); part financing of 820 buses” which was item 8 under schedule 1- Part C of the Bill,” the former governor averred.
JOSHUA BASSEY
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