THE Lagos State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Ope George, has said that the N440 million bulletproof SUV earmarked in the recently released 2023 Lagos Procurement Budget was not for the state Chief of Staff.
Recall that Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu had come under criticism for over-bloated spending in the State’s recently published 2023 Lagos Procurement Budget.
The budget contained items like N7.5 million to replace liquid fragrance in the Governor’s office and N440 million for a bulletproof vehicle.
However, speaking on the development, George stated that the aim of publishing the budget was to strive for accountability and transparency.
He explained that the Lexus LX Bulletproof vehicle was assigned for the transportation of dignitaries, not for the Chief of Staff.
In his words: “The Lexus Lx 600 SUV was budgeted for the office of the Chief of Staff and not for his personal use. It is meant to receive dignitaries visiting Lagos.
“There are certain specifications that need to be followed when purchasing these vehicles, but we also purchased certain vehicles from Volkswagen in Nigeria, so we do support local vehicles and manufacturers.”
The Commissioner said allegations against the Governor concerning the payment of lawyers using funds from the State Treasury were false, adding that the aim was total transparency and there was no room for uncalculated spending.
According to him, the majority of funding set aside for renovations was mainly pumped into the renovation and maintenance of tourist attractions such as the Saint Andrews Anglican Church and the Palace of Iduganran.
