The immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, spent N139m on the drilling of two boreholes at the Lagos House, Ikeja. The project was completed by Deux Projects Limited according to a report published by the state government. The report, which was part of the awarded contracts by the Lagos State Tenders Board in 2013, was seen on the website of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency.
In the same year, N640m was spent by the Fashola administration for the reconstruction of a car park and other associated works at the Lagos House, Marina. The report stated that the N640m contract was given to Julius Berger Plc as part of phase two of the reconstruction of Lagos House where Fashola lived during his eight years in government.
In the same year, N300m was spent on the relocation of cables belonging to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. The contract was awarded to Deux Projects Limited. According to the report, the former governor also spent N175m to replace the railings of a pedestrian bridge on Carter Bridge from Ido to Idumota with concrete railings. The contract was awarded to A Abicon Engineering Limited.
According to the report, N220m was spent on the facility management of the Lagos State University College of Medicine. The contract was awarded to Deux Projects Limited. The former governor, according to the report, spent N619m on surface repair on Ajara-Erekiti-Iragon-Ikoga Road in Badagry Local Government. According to the report, Fashola spent N1.2bn on the construction of an unidentified multi-storey building in Onikan, Lagos.
The former governor was also said to have spent N1.6bn on the construction of a 48-bedroom hotel at Lagos State VIP Chalets, Badagry. About N510m was spent on the remodelling and equipping of the official residence of the state’s Chief Judge at 4 Thompson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos, according to the report.
About N165m was spent on the construction of an 18-classroom block at Ajara Senior Grammar School, Ajara Badagry. The same amount was also spent on an 18-block classroom at Community Senior/Junior Secondary School, Bayeku, Ikorodu. Fashola had recently come under fire for spending N78.3m of taxpayers’ money on his website, tundefashola.com.
Although the figures were published on the official website of the state government, the former governor said all the monies were duly approved by the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency. Fashola, in a six-page letter, stated that the website of the state government was authentic.
He, however, warned against attempt by some persons to tarnish his good image and misrepresent his budgetary spending to the members of the public. All attempts to speak with Fashola’s spokesperson, Hakeem Bello, proved abortive as he did not pick calls neither did he respond to a text message sent to his telephone.