Corruption Allegation: Finally, EFCC Investigates Speaker, Obasa, As Lawmakers Walkout On Him

By Akinwale Kasali

This is not the best of times  for the Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly.

He is facing a revolution within – from some of his colleagues. This is complicated by a decision by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to finally investigate him on several allegations of fraud against him.

These have brought tension in the House of Representatives.

The embattled Speaker  has been enmeshed in series of crisis leading to the polarization of the All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers in the Assembly.

He seems to have lost control of the State House of Assembly and has, for months, come under serious scrutiny since the reports of fraud leveled against became public.

Saharareporters, an Online medium, had reported that Hon. Obasa allegedly operates over 60 bank accounts, and had used his office to misappropriate funds, and allocate contracts to himself through third parties and other acquaintances. The report was backed up by  some documents alleged to have unearthed from the House.

He was, also, alleged to have spent N258m to print invitation cards for the inauguration of the 9th Assembly.

The Speaker, also, allegedly approved N80m as estacode for 20 wives of some lawmakers to travel to Dubai, while his wife collected N10m monthly from the House.

Though the Speaker had consistently denied the allegations insisting that it was the handiwork of his detractors, the allegations have continued to resonate with many calling on the EFCC to investigate the weighty allegations.

The Assembly had set up a nine-man ad hoc committee of the House, headed by Victor Akande (Ojo Constituency 1) to investigate the allegations leveled against the Speaker.

The Committee, a week after its sitting, passed a vote of confidence in the Speaker, describing the allegations as “frivolous and unfounded”.

This Magazine had reported that subsequently, a Rights Group, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA,  which is, also, a top anti corruption group rubbished the House Committee describing the membership as full of “Obasa cronies”

Miffed by the development, a group, Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CISNAC, weeks back,   carried out a protest at the EFCC office in Lagos, and submitted a petition, urging the anti-graft agency to conduct an unbiased investigation into the allegations.

Programme officer at CISNAC, Sina Odugbemi, said the Assembly cannot be a judge in its own affairs, insisting that the EFCC must investigate the speaker for the public to know the truth about the allegations.

Responding to the petition, Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mohammed Rabo, said the anti-graft agency will give the petition against Mudashiru Obasa the attention it deserves.

“We will give it the required attention. We have our process here. This is the first process. You have submitted. We will go through it. I assure you we will give it the attention it requires. Always do your things within the ambit of the law.” Rabo said.

Keeping to its words, the anti-graft agency has swung into action over the week, commencing investigation into the alleged allegations.

A Source from the EFCC alleged that the Agency, on Wednesday, invited some members of the House for questioning, while some other lawmakers have been scheduled to report to the office of the Commission on Monday.

“The Commission came and invited some members of the House for interrogation. Some will also report to the commission on Monday. The EFCC has started investigation,” the source confirmed.

According to the source, the EFCC also wrote a letter to the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission (LAHASCOM) to explain the status of one Nike Ajibose, a staff in the Speaker’s office whose name featured prominently in some of the financial misappropriation allegations.

It was gathered that Ajibose was promoted to level 9 without any promotional examination and was Mudashiru Obasa ’s trusted ally who was saddled with the responsibility of arranging the Speaker’s foreign trips.

“The EFCC wrote LAHASCOM to find out if she is a member of staff or a public official as well as why she would be travelling all over and carrying money. As a civil servant it ought not to be so.

“The letter given to her perhaps it’s for Senior Special Assistant on Protocols and Foreign Affairs. So they now want to backdate the letter,” the source said.

The magazine was not able to confirm the EFCC invitation to some House members, but a source said the office of the Speaker is presently in a panic mode.

Over the week, some of the lawmakers staged a walkout on Spekaer Obasa to the surprise of the Speaker. He was said to have been perplexed.

Efforts to reach the Assembly’s spokesman, Hon. Tunde Braimoh proved abortive.