– Critics Question Transparency As Total Vehicle Expenditure Nears N65bn in Three Years
The Lagos State House of Assembly has reportedly spent an additional N4 billion on lawmakers’ back-up vehicles and power generators, raising fresh concerns over the Assembly’s spending priorities and transparency.
According to details from the Lagos State budget performance document obtained by SaharaReporters, N3.5 billion was allocated for the purchase of “back-up vehicles” for the 40 members of the Assembly, including utility buses and other vehicles.
An additional N500 million was spent on the “purchase and installation of 50KVA generators,” even though the document also indicated plans to spend N20.6 billion on similar procurements within the 2025 fiscal year.
Earlier reports revealed that the Assembly also earmarked N6.2 billion for the acquisition of 40 properties in Lagos and Abuja, with N1 billion already disbursed between January and June. The purpose of the properties remains unclear.
If fully executed, the new allocations will push the Assembly’s total vehicle-related spending between 2023 and 2025 to an estimated N65 billion, broken down as follows:
- N30.19 billion in 2023
- N15 billion in 2024
- N20.6 billion budgeted for 2025
Beyond vehicle and generator expenditures, the Assembly also plans to spend N500 million on “arrival guest houses and residential quarters,” as well as N30.3 billion on “new fence, access roads, landscaping, and beautification.” The planned rehabilitation of the Assembly complex—covering gatehouses, car parks, and leisure facilities—is projected to cost another N11.04 billion.
Meanwhile, allegations of financial misconduct have continued to trail the Lagos Assembly. A petition filed by the Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused the leadership of mismanaging N17 billion meant for constructing a new gate for the Assembly complex.
The petition also alleged that the Speaker awarded a N469 million contract for the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat to a company, Orgnitek Consult Limited, purportedly used for fraudulent dealings. Another N200 million was reportedly approved for a thanksgiving event that critics claim should not have cost more than N2 million.
Despite the controversies, the Lagos State government has not publicly addressed the mounting criticisms surrounding the Assembly’s expenditure patterns.
