A former Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Lagos State, Olusegun Banjo on Tuesday said that former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode sidelined his ministry in the controversial purchase of 820 buses for mass transit.

Banjo made the revelation when he appeared before an ad hoc committee set up by the Lagos State House of Assembly to probe Ambode over the purchase of the buses at a value of N45 billion.

Banjo alleged that the former governor ignored the procurement tradition which he met on the ground and sidelined his ministry with regards to the purchase of the mass transit buses.

“The way the ministry was structured, it did not allow us to function well. The N24 billion did not come to my ministry. We didn’t have a running system. As a commissioner, I could not approve one naira. All the MDAs approached the governor directly,” Banjo said. 

 Banjo said Ambode’s administration was not transparent in its dealings as according to him, a lot of things could be done without the knowledge of the commissioners in his cabinet. 

“I don’t know what happens to unbudgeted funds when it comes because the Ministry of Finance does not inform my ministry. We don’t have a running system,” Banjo added. 

However, when the former Accountant-General of the state, Mrs. Shukrat Umar was asked if the budget for the purchase of the buses was approved by the State Executive Council, she said the state Treasury Office acted with the approval of the Executive Council.

“The State Treasury Office acted on Exco’s approval. The buses were in line with Exco’s approval. I would not know whether the Paris Refund Club was discussed or not,” Mrs. Umar said. 

Mr. Ambode and two commissioners in his administration who were expected to appear on Tuesday before the 16-man committee headed by Fatai Mojeed failed to show up.

The immediate-past Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade and ex-Commissioner for Special Duties, Oladejo Seye failed to appear but they both wrote to the committee to explain that they were out of the country.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa said the House would invite Ambode through a newspaper publication, warning that should he fail to show up, the House would issue a warrant for his arrest.