The Lagos State Government, led by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, granted approval for N24.5m to renovate the official residence of the Commissioner of Police in the state.
The approval, dated February 6, came just days before the February 25 general election.
The main opposition parties in the state accused security agencies of colluding with non-state actors to intimidate their supporters and suppress votes.
This information surfaced through the Public Procurement awards by the state government in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2023.
Apart from the funds allocated for renovation, the state Ministry of Justice disbursed N200m to four Senior lawyers representing Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat in pre-election matters.
Additionally, N20.8m was released for the decoration of the political delegates’ congress venue, approved on June 26, more than three months after the 2023 general elections.
In July, N6.1m was approved for furniture items at the Campaign office, GRA, Ikeja, drawing criticism from political commentators who argue against using taxpayers’ money for political activities.
The government also sanctioned N152 million for restoring water supply at Iduganran palace, the official residence of the Oba of Lagos. These revelations raised concerns, given the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the deputy governor responded to the controversy, clarifying that he received N2 million for rechargeable fans, not N2 billion.
In a memo disputing the report, Hamzat stated that the agency’s report was untrue, mischievous, fake, and unfounded.
The memo emphasized that the reported monthly spending of =N=30,000,000 for outreach to indigents by the Wife of the Deputy Governor actually covered the entire year, amounting to =N=2,500,000 per month.
The same applied to the Empowerment program, which also amounted to =N=2,500,000 per month, rather than the reported =N=30,000,000 monthly.
Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat face criticism over these controversial approvals amid the prevailing nationwide hardship.
