HOW TINUBU SQUANDERED N1.5 BILLION LAGOS ECOLOGICAL FUND

Bola Tinubu

A more disturbing picture has emerged on the profligacy and alleged wastefulness that characterized the eight years of Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria, and his former Environment Commissioner and now Chairman Editorial Board, Thisday Newspaper, Mr. Tunji Bello. They are both being accused of misappropriating about N1.5 Billion, Ecological Funds belonging to the State.

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Mr. Tinubu who has also been named in connection with other mind-boggling financial scandals was said to have co-opted his then Environment Commissioner Mr. Bello to ignore the pressing Environment and Ecological issues facing Lagos State to divert tax payers money into funding personal and inconsequential deals.

Besides, Tinubu was said to have coerced Chairmen of Local Governments in the State to give mandatory unbudgeted financial contributions to the tune of N700 Million in support of his political activities. The former State legislators had commenced a probe into the arbitrary withdrawal of Local Governments funds but stopped midway because of threats made by some Local Government Chairmen to implicate Tinubu in the scam.

According to investigations, Tinubu became increasingly intolerant of well meaning pieces of advice from aides and senior civil servants who tried to tell him to apply acceptable standards of engagement in civil rule. It was said that when it became obvious that he was deviating from the electoral promise made on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, his British trained former Finance Commissioner, Mr. Olawale Edun and another unnamed senior civil servant advised him against diverting monies meant for ameliorating the ecological problems in Lagos State. Tinubu was said to have been unduly defensive and abrasive. Edun was humiliated, frustrated and had to resign in other to protect his long years of experience in finance.

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Specifically, Tinubu was said to have connived with Mr. Bello to corner the dedicated funds on Ecology for supporting several surrogate political aspirants on the platform of the Action Congress, AC to the tune of N1 Billion. As one Lagos State Government insider puts it: “in the months that preceded the April general elections, over N1 Billion was spent by the Tinubu’s administration on AC candidates in the South Western State and Edo State. Tinubu really wanted to be the godfather.”

He was said to have single handedly made available an alleged amount of N350 Million “gift” to his former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola. The money, according reliable sources was meant to assist Aregbesola in his quest to become the Governor of Osun State.

Tinubu was said to have also packaged not less than N10 Million for each of his former cabinet members, political aides and State law makers. Furthermore, each member of the state council of traditional rulers was said to have to been given N5 Million each and brand new cars. Tinubu was also said to have made available N500, 000 to friendly Editors and Managers in Media houses with which he had close rapport.

Pointblanknews.com was also reliably informed that the Lagos State Governments property at number 2B Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja was sold at a give-away price to Mr. Lai Mohammed, Spokesperson for AC. Aregbesola was also said to have benefited from another Lagos State Government’s property in the same area.

Repeated efforts made by pointblanknews.com to get former Environment Commissioner and present Chairman of Editorial Board Thisday’s Newspapers to respond to the allegations proved unproductive. He shunned phone calls, emails and text messages.