The Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-Corruption has summoned former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Waheed Odusile, along with former Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Awere, and Director of Finance and Accounts, Mr. Andrew Odukoya. They are being called in connection to alleged financial irregularities discovered during an audit of the ministry's finances from 2021 to 2022.
These alleged irregularities pertain to the utilization of N92.9 million from the governor’s contingency fund, intended to supplement the ministry's budgetary allocations. Odusile and the other officials are required to appear before the committee on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 1 pm to provide additional information regarding the ministry's financial affairs.
The committee, chaired by Damilare Bello, issued this summons while reviewing the auditor reports for the years in question and examining financial records presented by Permanent Secretary Alhaji Waheed Adesina at the Assembly Complex in Abeokuta.
During the review, the committee noted discrepancies in the transfer of N2.51 million to personal accounts, specifically to Mr. Ojo Emmanuel, Special Adviser on Media, purportedly for the purchase of working tools for the OGSG New Media Team. This transfer was deemed a violation of financial regulations and standard procedures, as funds should ideally be directed to vendor bank accounts for transparency and accountability.
Additionally, the committee requested the ministry's Director of Finance and Accounts to provide an updated fixed asset register and to submit detailed cash inflow and outflow statements.
In response, Permanent Secretary Adesina assured the committee that steps had been taken to address the issues raised in the audit report. He pledged the ministry's commitment to complying with all directives in order to uphold accountability and transparency standards.
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