Hon Bimbo Adekanmbi, the Oyo State Commissioner for Finance in the administration of late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi has confirmed the allegations made by Governor ‘Seyi Makinde that over seven billion naira was mismanaged by the administration through the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA).
Recall that Governor ‘Seyi Makinde had revealed that between 12 to 15 billion naira was moved through OYSROMA to a Chinese Global, while speaking with Edmund Obilo on Splash FM, Ibadan.
However, while reacting to Makinde’s allegation on Edmund Obilo’s programme on Saturday, the former Commissioner for Finance in the administration of late Abiola Ajimobi, Hon Bimbo Adekanmi said Governor ‘Seyi Makinde’s allegation was true and correct but warned the governor not to sensationalise the issue.
He added that he would cooperate with the governor if he needed any clarification, adding that the money moved to OYSROMA was Paris Club Refund but said he was not a contractor or a member of OYSROMA who the governor claimed diverted the money.
According to him, “What the governor is angry about is the stealing, the governor was trying to sensationalise that OYSROMA’s budget used to be N40 to N45m and suddenly jumped to N7bn.
“Money can be moved to any MDAs so far it has been justified. That N7bn was spent within just a year, the governor is sensationalising it. He doesn’t need to say all that. The key thing is that the money was stolen.
“Now, government is the biggest spender in an economy, it normally operates a deficit. So when you operate a deficit, it means you are doing a project and spending money, you don’t know where the money is coming from. If you have accumulated a debt of N20b, you can spend N7b the day you get the money.”
Meanwhile, when asked what the money was meant for and if the road was constructed, Adekanmbi said the money was intended for roads at OYSROMA, saying that, “For me as the Commissioner for Finance, we pay money for salaries, we pay money for roads, building model schools, when you pay money for a project, it’s been justified because it has been budgeted for, it goes for the MDAs.
“Now where the governor has a point is that when it goes to your MDAs, did the contractor abscond with the money? In this case, the money got to OYSROMA”.
Similarly, when asked if he knows Chinese Global, Adekanmbi said, “I don’t know any Chinese Global, I am not a contractor, all I know is that the money was moved to OYSROMA and I didn’t move money away from the agency.
“I didn’t know who gave the order that the money should be moved to Chinese Global. My job ends where the voucher comes to the Ministry of finance to pay to OYSROMA.
“I have never met ‘Seyi Makinde once since I left office, he has never called me. However, I will tell you that I am happy to meet the governor anytime, I want to cooperate with him if he calls me today or tomorrow, I live in Ibadan, I will help him to shed light on the issue if he said Adekanmbi, money was stolen. He is my egbon”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, the governor has assured the residents of Oyo state that he would ensure that all the people involved in the looting of Oyo’s treasury, will be prosecuted and every penny stolen by the people who perpetrated the atrocities, will be recovered.
