Adewale Oshinowo, a former Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State, has berated the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, for claiming to have met the state’s account empty.
Oshinowo, who spoke through a statement on Monday, said the Ibikunle Amosun-led administration left about N18.3bn for Abiodun.
Abiodun had said he took a loan of N7bn to pay workers’ May salary, lamenting that he met nothing in the state’s treasury.
But in his reaction, Oshinowo said the Abiodun-led government inherited over N18.218bn, comprising N5.7bn from the Federation Account and N2.5bn from the Ministries Departments and Agencies.
The statement read in part, “Contrary to the empty treasury slogan, the Dapo Abiodun-led government inherited over N18.218bn, comprising N5.735bn from the Federation Account and N2.483 billion from the Ministries Departments and Agencies.
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“The N10.6bn refund for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) due to Ogun State, which the Amosun government had laboured for three years to obtain, and which was due to be paid in May 2019, should be part of the amount inherited by Dapo Abiodun.
“Therefore, the Amosun administration can assert that it effectively left N18.8bn in the coffers of Ogun State Government.”
He added, “It is the usual practice that for such large sum of money to be borrowed from financial institutions, the Ogun State Executive Council must debate and ratify it, while the approval of the Ogun State House of Assembly must be obtained.
“At the national level, both the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office must also give written approval as part of the process for obtaining a loan.
“Clearly, none of these mandatory approvals were complied with,” he added.
He advised Abiodun not to play politics with the state account, warning that the action might have economic implications.