I Never Signed Cheques For Website And Borehole Contracts – Fashola

Immediate past governor of Lagos state Babatunde Raji Fashola has responded to alleged contract inflation of a personal website and borehole during his tenure as governor of Lagos.

Former governor of Lagos state, Raji Fashola

Speaking on the floor of the senate during his ministerial screening, Fashola took the senator on a ride with his captivating response to questions as he spoke about the need for the creation of state police, increase in value added tax, the nation’s justice system.

Responding to Senator-Enyinnaya–Abaribe’s question on the personal website and borehole, Fashola said he never signed cheques for contracts as Lagos state governor.

It would be recalled that an analytic firm, BudgIT, disclosed that before Fashola left office, he approved a contract of N78.3 million from the state treasury for an upgrade of his personal website.

Contract listed includes a N640million construction of car parks at the Lagos House, Marina. The contract for the construction of the car parks was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Plc. Yet, another is a N300million contract on the relocation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria cables at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, and awarded to Deux Projects Limited.

N175million was listed for replacement of railings on pedestrian part of the Carter Bridge from Ido to Idumota. The contract was awarded to A Abicon Engineering Limited.

N220million was spent on the facility management of the Lagos State University College of Medicine; contract also awarded to Deux Projects Limited. The surface repair on Ajara-Erekiti-Iragon-Ikoga Road in Badagry local government was awarded for N619million.

“I don’t sign cheques, none of my commissioners never sign a cheque. I never signed a cheque. It’s a institutional process. I don’t sit in award for contracts; there is a state tender board and later the state procurement agency” Fashola simply told members of the red chambers.

Speaking further Fashola responded to the question on the repatriation of destitute by his administration to their various states.

“We didn’t just collect destitute, we were taken to court and the court found no merit in the claim. We took some of these people from the streets, sick and rehabilitated them and they claim to want return home and we did base on the information they gave us. I apologies again in the interest of national, but we did what must be done.”