Ajimobi probes contract awards by Akala’s govt

BY JIMOH BABATUNDE & OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—OYO State government has set up an eight-man committee to scrutinize contracts awarded by immediate past government of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala. The committee is also to investigate how the contracts were implemented by the former governor.

Also, governor Abiola Ajimobi, said his administration would put measures in place to block leakages as the state sought to improve its Internally Generated Revenue. IGR. The committee inaugurated yesterday is headed by Mr. Oluremi Osiberu.

Inaugurating the committee, the state’s Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, explained that it should not been seen “as a vengeance mission or a witch-hunt exercise.”

Justifying the committee, the deputy governor said it was to assist the administration and not targeted at anyone or a ploy to witch-hunt any government official.

He said the committee was in tandem with the promise made by Governor Ajimobi after his declaration as the winner of the April election governorship election.

According to him, one other reason why the committee was set up, “is to encourage due process and transparency in the conduct of administration’s business. Check if there  is any outstanding contract, examine the extent of compliance with due process and verify the extent of completion of each contract.”

The committee is also to determine the level of commitment of the immediate past administration to various contractors handling projects.

He said the committee has eight weeks to submit its findings and recommendations.

Meanwhile, Governor, Ajimobi, said the state would put measures in place to block leakages as it sought to improve its Internally Generated Revenue. The governor also added his voice to the clamour for a review of the current revenue formula in the country to enable states meet the challenges before them.

Speaking at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on arrival from Accra, Ghana along with other Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN’s, governors, Ajimobi said with measures being put in place the financial base of the state would improve soon.

He said the state, like other states in the country, “is trying to improve its industrial base.

I think most state governments now are doing everything possible to restructure and ensure that we improve on our IGR and in terms of reaching out to businesses we are trying to improve our industrial base which will in turn improve on our IGR.

“Hopefully we are trying to block all the leakages which will improve on our IGR within the next couple of months you will see improvement.”

He added “I think definitely we need a review of the revenue formula and I honestly belief that the Federal Government will agree to our demands because our new president is very reasonable and is very supportive of all the states.”