Over N2B Fraud Rocks LASAA In Lagos

Over N2B Fraud Rocks LASAA In Lagos................................................ PHOTO: LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, MR. BABATUNE RAJI FASHOLA (SAN).

ABUJA April 19, (THEWILL) - A monumental fraud of over Two billion naira (N2 Billion) has been uncovered at the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), according to documents obtained by THEWILL in Abuja.

In a 5-page document titled “LASAA…Another name for fraud” sent to the office of the Lagos state Governor, Babatunde Fashola and made available to the THEWILL, the petitioners, Majekobaje Eko Integrity Group alleged that the  unprecedented fraud was spearheaded and perpetrated by  Mr. Makanjuola Alabi, the Managing Director/CEO of Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency (LASAA) in collaboration with other staff of the agency, namely,  Ajewole Kehinde Johnson, Ronke Ogunsanwo,Toluwalope Kehinde, Ogunsanya Tayo, Tope Akande and Adeyemi Temitope.

The group represented by their National Coordinator, Olajide O.O and Secretary, Akanbi K, respectively alleged that in 2006 during the regime of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the sum of N130M was approved by the administration for the agency and released by Fashola’s administration in 2007 to procure heavy duty equipments like Cranes, HIAB, Hydraulic Man-lift, and Trucks, but nothing was purchased up till this moment.

The group also alleged that in 2007 alone, two hundred and forty million naira (N240MILLION) was siphoned from the agency’s coffers without any job done or contract awarded. In 2008 and 2009 respectively, the sum of three hundred and sixty million naira each was spent, totaling seven hundred and twenty million naira (N720 MILLION) without recourse to due process in line with the fiscal responsibility provisions of the Lagos State Government.

More worrisome is the fact that the agency has no business in the execution of street lights projects within Lagos metropolis, a job, according to them was solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Works.

They further alleged that the first set of street light projects for Kingsway Road, Ikoyi was awarded to Private Network Nigeria (PNN), an indigenous company for N75M but now the same contract/project in terms of specifications and volume is being awarded to Lillekker, a foreign company for N180M, stating that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should wade into the matter as the Lagos state Government is treating the fraud with kid gloves.

The successive frauds, according to the petitioners, have been committed with impunity as the perpetrators are even boasting that no body can question them as they are being treated as ‘sacred cows’ within the Lagos state Government circles.

The petitioners further noted that there were vouchers raised in respect of Enforcement activities of the said Agency that did not even take place between 19th December and 21st December, 2007 to cover all the 20 main local Government Areas in Lagos State with the following cash advance numbers 001902 to 001909, in the retirement of the said cash advances, no Cranes, HIABs, Trucks, Gas, Artisans were used at all.

The vouchers, according to the petitioners, were used to cover up for one of the Management numerous illegal spending they fondly called ‘PR for Alausa people’.

The Lagos State House of Assembly last weekend began a probe of the executive arm of government over an alleged misappropriation of funds by the Babatunde Fashola led government.