Again, Lagos Assembly Summons Ex-Governor Ambode

Former Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has been asked by the State House of Assembly to appear before it on Wednesday.

In the invite was entitled: “Notice of summons: Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (the former Governor of Lagos State)”, the former governor was asked to appear before the Committee of the House by 1pm to explain all he knows about some financial transactions that took place under his administration, The Nations reports.

Naija News reports that Ambode had continually ignored the calls by the House of Assembly ad-hoc Committee probing the activities of his administration.

The ad-hoc committee was based on the preliminary report of a nine-man ad-hoc committee to probe the 820 buses purchased by the ex-governor.

Reacting to the dishonouring attitude of the governor, Speaker Mudasiru Obasa had vowed that if the ex-governor fails to appear after a public invitation through newspaper publications the House would issue a warrant of arrest on him.

It was learnt that some of the ex- commissioners stated the former Governor carried out major activities without their knowledge, claiming to be mere figureheads.

In a fresh summon published in The Nation, the Lagos State House of Assembly asked the former governor to furnish it with documents relating to issue being investigated.

The fresh notice states: “The Lagos State House of Assembly, pursuant to Section 129 (1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) hereby summons His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the former Governor of Lagos State (May, 2015 – May, 2019) to appear before the Committee of the House on Wednesday, 30th October, 2019 at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja by 1.00 p.m.”

Ambode is expected to clarify the following:

Unauthorised discounting of Promissory Note;

Purchase of 820 buses by your administration without due authorisation;

Misappropriation of Special Expenditure Funds;

Improper implementation of the Appropriation Law; and

Non-adherence to the Financial Regulations of the State.

The notice urged the former governor to provide the Committee with documents to justify that the transactions did not violate constitutional provisions.

It adds: “You are kindly requested to furnish the Committee with fifteen (15) copies each of all relevant document(s) relating to the issues raised through the Office of the Clerk of the House on or before Tuesday, 29th October, 2019.

“It is pertinent to state that your presence at the proposed meeting would give you the opportunity to shed light on issues that are material to the investigation.”