LG Poll: Group petitions APC, seeks disqualification of ex-Lekki council boss over alleged graft
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ibeju Lekki zone, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to nominate a former Executive Secretary of Lekki Local Council Development, Mr. Bamidele Rasaki Kasali, as the chairmanship candidate of the party in the July 24 local government election over alleged graft.
This is as the NYCN leadership said Kasali has been allegedly indicted by the 2015/2016 Auditor-General report for local government and Public Account Committee (PAC) while serving as the Lekki council boss, claiming that he deliberately ignored the orders of the Lagos State House of Assembly to refund all illegal expenditures he was allegedly accused of.
The petition, dated May 14, 2021, and addressed to the APC leadership in Lagos State, was signed by the NYCN executives in Ibeju-Lekki, namely, Israel Akintunde, Busari Temidayo and Gabon Basirat Folasade. The Council said when Kasali presided over the Lekki LCDA in the year under review, he allegedly administered the LCDA with brazen contempt, gross impunity and total disregard for both administrative guidelines and financial memorandum.
The Council, which also attached copies of the Auditor-General Report for Local Government and other documents to the petition, averred that the business of government on behalf of the public is a sacred trust that must be guided jealously to justify the huge confidence reposed on such an individual.
The petition reads, “In line with the whistleblower policy of government to expose corruption with a view to engendering transparency and accountability in the utilization of public funds in order to promote growth and social-economic development .
“I hereby wish to draw your attention to an existing indictment for fraud and embezzlement of public fund by BAMIDELE RASAKI KASALI in year 2015/2016 Auditor General’s Report for Local Government and Public Account Committee for Local Government, Lagos State House of Assembly when he was privileged to direct the affairs of Lekki Local Council Development Area between 2015/2016 as Executive Secretary.
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“Nevertheless, the local Government Audit Law empowers the Auditor General for Local Government to carry out a periodic and annual Audit of all the Local Government with a view of ascertaining compliance with the laws and ensuring accountability in the utilization of public funds to promote value for money and make public the outcome of such report by submitting same to the Lagos State House of Assembly for queries, sanctions and recall of illegal expenditures back to the coffers of government.”
The petition also captured the report of the Public Account Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly, stating that it had invited Bamidele Rasaki Kasali to defend all the queries raised in the Auditor General’s report but no satisfactory explanation were made.
“This had necessitated the house to order for the refund of all the illegal, doubtful and irregular expenditure without performance back to the coffers of Lekki LCDA, a directive that were never complied with till date. Below is a table of the summary of the embezzled funds
“It is on records that several millions of naira was embezzled using the names of local government staff under the disguise of direct labour for projects such as boreholes, public toilets, etc., with no site location where such projects were carried out, this is a clear case of stealing and broad daylight robbing.
“In view of the above, I urge your leadership and the House of Assembly to set precedence with the case of impunity and total disregard to the orders of the House of Assembly to further entrench the rule of law, transparency, accountability and value for money in all the Local Government in Lagos State to promote sustainable growth and development.
“Lastly, since Bamidele Rasaki Kasali were given the opportunity to defend all queries contained in the 2015/2016 Audit report against his government, but never obeyed the orders of the House of Assembly to refund all illegal expenditures and as such I urge the house to pass a resolution to declare him unfit to occupy any public position in Lagos State until he complies with the orders of the House,” the petition said.
