Last year, a civil society organization, Citizen Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative (CAACASVI) petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking among others, the investigation of Gbajabiamila for alleged sundry ills.
A copy of the letter obtained by PointBankNews.com and addressed to the chairman of the anti-graft body, dated 14th May 2021, accused the NLRC boss of sundry offences, including “approval of contract sums beyond his threshold without seeking relevant approvals from constituted authorities; award of contract to companies without relevant technical documents as stipulated by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP); contract inflation in connivance with contractors; payment of contract sum without ascertaining value for money and this is done through the Office of the Director of Finance and Accounts of the commission.”
CAACASVI also accused Gbajabiamila of “diversion of funds through frivolous contract for deployment of solutions that are never known to the staff or used by the employees.”
That’s not all! The controversy surrounding Mr. Gbajabiamila’s appointment, it would be recalled, generated a heated debate on the floor of the 8th Assembly. Appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2017, the California state university alumnus did not wait to be screened and confirmed by the Senate before assuming office as boss of the lottery commission.
Senator Dino Melaye had on the floor of the Senate drawn the attention of his colleagues to the anomaly, prompting the then Senate President, Bukola Saraki to mandate former Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan to investigate same and report to the lawmakers.
The next day, Lawan confirmed the development, saying, “yesterday, the Senate, by way of resolution, mandated me to investigate the case of a nominee who has yet to be screened and confirmed by the Senate and who has yet to receive an appointment letter from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, but that nominee has assumed office.
“I investigated the issue very thoroughly and I stand here to report what actually happened. The nominee for the Office of the Director-General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission actually assumed office. I think he was wrongly advised and, therefore, assumed office without going through the stipulated due process.”
Although, Gbajabiamila was later confirmed by the Senate in 2018; a fresh appointment letter signed by Boss Mustapha, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation dated 20th November 2018 and received by the Commission on December 4th 2018 has elicited controversy in the media.
There are more questions than answers including, what was wrong with the first appointment letter issued in 2017 when Lanre Gbajabiamila was first appointed by ex-President Buhari? If the letter was withdrawn following the delayed confirmation by the Senate; how comes Lanre Gbajabiamila earned a total of N3.3 million salaries (gross) for the months of November and December, 2017 as shown in the pay slips obtained by this medium?
Are there different laws to guide the conduct of the common man and others for privilege individuals like Lanre Gbajabiamila?
The NLRC DG has similarly been accused of money laundering even as the nation awaits the EFCC, to swing into action by investigating the petitions before it, in line with the current administration’s anti-corruption campaign.
Efforts to get the reaction of Lanre who is the younger brother of Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Tinubu proved abortive as messages sent to him on his WhatsApp handle were not acknowledged