Heads will roll – Ogun Assembly invites ex-land DGs, others over alleged financial infractions

The Ogun State House of Assembly has said heads will roll in the ongoing investigation involving the Bureau of Lands and Survey.

This is as the Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Public Account and Anti-Corruption summoned three former Directors General of the Bureau of Lands.

The summon, Eaglesforesight learnt, was in continuation of the consideration of the 2015 to 2019 audit queries.

Other officials who served in the Bureau between 2015 and 2019 were also asked to appear before the committee on Thursday, September 15, 2022.

They invited former Directors General Mr. Biyi Ismail, Mr. Wale Oshinowo, and Jumoke Akinwunmi.

A former Surveyor General, Ken Salem Onasose, was also summoned to appear before the lawmakers.

Also invited were former Directors, Lands Services, Finance and Accounts and their Administration and Supplies counterparts, including Mr. Okesade Olufemi; Mr. Sobande Kolawole; Mr. Usman Ojelabi; Mr. Fatai Adeboyejo and the present Head of Lands Registry in the bureau.

The assembly had sternly warned officials of the Bureau against hoarding files and other supporting documents that could hinder the committee from discharging its constitutional role of ensuring accountability and transparency in government finances and operations.

The Chairman of the Committee, Musefiu Lamidi spoke on about the invitation while taking on the Bureau’s erstwhile Director General, Biyi Ismail who had been reinvited for his failure to honour earlier notice of the Committee.

Musefiu in the company of fellow members of the committee like Abdul Bashir Oladunjoye, Ganiyu Oyedeji, Kunle Sobukanla and Yusuf Amosun explained that Ismail was expected to re-appear to clarify grey areas in relation to the infractions reported in the audit report of the Bureau for the period.

The Chairman expressed displeasure that the committee’s correspondences to the Bureau requesting the submission of some documents were yet to be honoured.

He directed the representatives of the incumbent Director General of Lands and Senior Special Assistant on (Legal) in the Bureau, Barr. Akande Emmanuel to avail the committee with relevant documents to aid its assignment, saying:

“You are expected to submit the revenue returns between 2015-2019, bank inflows and outflows, reconciliation statements, eleven bags of revenue ledger and the ICMA manifest for the period under review.

“Let me warn Bureau of Lands sternly, that it has been part of your practices of files to be getting missing always. We are not going to take it; majority of your officials are going to face the music this time around because it is going to be by the resolution of the entire House.

“We are interested in some list of files that have been sent to you, but till now, we have not been able to receive them, especially the ones on Redeemer’s University. Heads will roll.

“This exercise is not a personal vendetta nor for witch-hunting; former DG lands will be the last person we will do that to, being a very good friend and brother, but we want to bring some things out to serve as a deterrent to others.”