The Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-Corruption has clarified that the invitation extended to former Commissioner for Information and Strategy Waheed Odusile and a serving Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the Governor on Media, Emmanuel Ojo, was not an indictment but rather a step to seek clarifications on the audit report of the ministry.
The committee, led by Damilare Bello, had earlier invited the duo and two other career officers to shed light on financial anomalies spotted by the assembly.
Reports in some sections of the media (not OsunDailyNG) however, insinuated that Odusile and Ojo were invited to answer questions on fraud-related matters.
The committee, while meeting officials of the State Hospitals Management Board at the Assembly Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Thursday, asserted that the invitation was for mere clarifications.
The committee chairman, in the company of other members, noted that the sitting was not meant to witch-hunt but to put the various ministries, departments and agencies of government on their toes in the prudent management of government resources.
He stated: “On Monday, at our last sitting, there was misinformation that this Honourable House has indicted the ex-Commissioner and the SSA (Media). We have not indicted anyone. We have only used the media to invite them for clarification on the Auditor General reports in line with our constitutional responsibilities.
“It is important to note that this House has no reason to witch-hunt anyone. We are only making sure the people see our governor working alongside the legislators with the right procedure to achieve all the government’s lofty policies and programmes.”
The committee chairman also urged the public to disregard the scandalous rumours circulated against the invited persons.
