Lagos council fraud: AC adopts tougher measures for candidates

Saka Gbeminiyi, Lagos - 25.11.2007

FOLLOWING the discovery of over N700 million fraud in some local government councils in Lagos State, the ruling party in the state, the Action Congress (AC), has adopted strict measures at presenting candidate for the forthcoming local government elections.

The party, Sunday Tribune learnt, was taking aback by the discovery made by the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts on the level of fraud at the councils.

The committee in its quarterly report had discovered that executive secretaries of some local councils siphoned over N700 million through duplication of items, fraudulent postings and illegal allocation of funds.

The committee in its recommendation said about five executive secretaries should go on suspension to pave way for thorough scrutiny of the accounts.

As a result of this discovery, AC top notchers expressed surprise and immediately moved to ensure rigorous screening of candidates for the forth-coming local council elections.

A source within the party told Sunday Tribune that “we need to assure Lagosians that we are sincere with public funds. This is election period at local level, developments like this will become a campaign issue for the opposition.”