The Democratic Peoples’ Alliance (DPA) has challenged the Lagos government to publish the cost of projects and infrastructural development in the state.
Describing as unacceptable a situation where the Governor Babatunde Fashola regime kept secret the actual price for contracts bankrolled by the state, the party said investigations showed that Lagos contracts were overpriced.
In a statement by Lagos DPA Director of Publicity, Felix Oboagwina, the party said: “The Action Congress today governs Lagos in a private, cultic manner, as if running a personal business.. This is just not acceptable. It clearly violates the principles of transparency, openness and accountability that should highlight public spending. Tax payers have a right to know about contract sums; why are they not being told?”
DPA advised Lagos to borrow a leaf from the Federal Government’s practice of announcing the cost of projects immediately after approval by the Federal Executive Council.
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Submitting that AC had long laid a tradition of shirking accountability, DPA recalled that Governor Fashola and his predecessor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had failed to publicly declare their closing and opening assets, despite public outcry.
However, much of the blame lay with the State House of Assembly for failing in its oversight responsibilities towards Lagos contracts, according to the party.
“A proactive Legislature would ensure the Executive followed the line of propriety and accountability by getting it to publish contract sums. But Lagos Assembly hears no evil, sees no evil and speaks no evil, even when evil reigns right under its nose. It appears to have sacrificed its oversight functions on the altar of AC confraternity,” DPA said.
According to DPA, the way many building, road, flower-planting and streetlight projects had been shoddily executed showed that the government had paid poor attention to quality control, giving as example the poor performance of the solar-powered streetlights.
“All you need do is drive around the city at night and you will find that the effect of several of these solar streetlights is sub-zero. They illuminate no better than candlelight. Obviously, Lagosians have received a raw deal from many of these state-appointed contractors,” DPA said.
Warning that Lagos contracts must go beyond settling party chieftains and loyalists, the party said that to curb corruption and enhance efficiency, the government must place project costs in the public domain and let Lagosians know the amount spent on ongoing contracts.
DPA similarly pointed out that the government had yet to respond to allegations that the lion’s share of Lagos road projects had been contracted out to the Chagouris, Late General Sani Abacha’s infamous business partners.
FELIX OBOAGWINA
Director of Publicity, Lagos DPA
08033327355.
www.nzesylva.wordpress.com
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