FINANCIAL INFRACTIONS: OGHA SUMMONS THREE FORMER LANDS DGs, WARNS OFFICIALS AGAINST SABOTAGE

By Jumoke Adeogun Abeokuta

In continuation of the consideration of 2015-2019 audit queries, the Ogun State House of Assembly Committee has summoned three former Directors General, Bureau of Lands and Survey and other officials who served in the Bureau between 2015- 2019 to appear before the Assembly Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-corruption on Thursday, 15th September, 2022.

This was just as the Assembly issued stern warning to the officials of the Bureau against hoarding files and other supporting documents that could hinder the Committee from discharging its constitutional roles of ensuring accountability and transparency in government finances and operations.

The Chairman of the Committee, Musefiu Lamidi issued the invitation while taking on the Bureau's erstwhile Director General, Mr. Biyi Ismail who had been reinvited for his failure to honour earlier notice of the Committee.

Musefiu in company of Honourables Abdul Bashir Oladunjoye, Ganiyu Oyedeji, Kunle Sobukanla and Amosun Yusuf explained that Ismail was expected to re-appear to clarify grey areas in relation to the infractions reported in the audit report of the Bureau for the period.

The invited former Directors General are Mr. Biyi Ismail, Mr. Wale Oshinowo, Jumoke Akinwunmi and a former Surveyor General, Ken Salem Onasose.

Also invited were former Directors, Lands Services, Finance and Accounts and their Administration and Supplies counterparts including Mr. Okesade Olufemi, Mr. Sobande Kolawole, Mr. Usman Ojelabi, Mr. Fatai Adeboyejo and the present Head of Lands Registry in Bureau.

The Committee which had earlier sent correspondences to the Bureau requesting for the submission of some documents and were yet to be availed, directed the representative of the incumbent DG Lands and Senior Special Assistant on (Legal) in the Bureau, Barr. Akande Emmanuel to avail the Committee with relevant documents to aid its assignment.

According to Musefiu, " you are expected to submit the revenue returns between 2015-2019, bank inflows and outflows, reconciliation statements, eleven bags of revenue ledger and the ICMA manifest for the period under review.

Let me warn Bureau of Lands sternly, that it has been part of your practices of files to be getting missing always, we are not going to take it; majority of your officials are going to face the music this time around because it is going to be by the resolution of the entire House.

We are interested in some list of files that have been sent to you, but till now, we have not been able to receive them, especially the ones on Redeemer's University. Heads will roll.

This exercise is not a personal vendetta nor for witch -hunting, former DG lands will be the last person we will do that to being a very good friend and brother, but we want to bring some things out to serve as deterrent for others. Please, whenever we request for any documents, make sure you provide it for us, it won't serve anybody any good, if you decide to prevent this Committee from working, by extension, you are preventing the whole House from doing their Constitutional job".