Fashola says no N4.6bn stolen under his watch

By our reporter| Nigeria’s minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday denied reports of financial misconduct levelled against him, stating that no money was missing or stolen in any of the ministries he supervised between September and December 2019.

An online publication last week had alleged that the former Lagos state governor supervised the illegal payment of N4.6bn into private accounts when he served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing, a clear violation of extant law.

According to the report, between September and December 2019, the N4.6bn was illegally paid into the private accounts of some directors and employees of the then Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

However, reacting to the allegation on Monday, Fashola in a statement he personally signed and seen by Alabingo.com, while denying the report, explained that the Federal Government in 2007 initiated a payment platform called the Integrated Personnel Payment and Information System.

According to him, the current administration had been engaging all sectors of government to fully migrate to the IPPIS platform.

He said, “In all, no money was stolen or is missing. There is no smoking gun to criminalise Fashola.”

“What has happened is that not all government officials who, from time to time, needed to be paid for approved expenses were registered on the platform.

“In order to ensure that government work was not hampered, the directors of finance and accounts sought and obtained approval of the accountant-general to pay these monies through the accounts of an approved few who were on the platform.”

He added, “Those so approved then collect the money and disburse to the beneficiaries who sign receipts all of which are retired and available for verification as approved by the accountant-general.”

This, according to him, was “because not all public officials had fully enrolled on the IPPIS and the DFAs had the mandate to comply and not Fashola.”

He further noted that it was wrong to think that a public officer would take such money on a consistent and repeated basis with impunity.

The accountant-general, he explained had recently issued new guidelines to deal with the process.