Immediate past Oyo state Commissioner for Finance and Budget, Bimbo Adekanmbi, Monday faulted claim by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, that the administration of Abiola Ajimobi withdrew over N5 billion and left N19,000 within 22 days to the expiration of the administration’s tenure.
Adekanmbi, who was the commissioner for finance, under Ajimobi stated that Makinde goofed as there was nothing like withdrawal of over N5 billion, not to talk of spending it.
Featuring on a Splash FM 105.5 Ibadan, in a Yoruba interview programme, “Gbangba Lasanta”, the former commissioner stated that Governor Makinde was misinformed on the issue by some sycophants who were hellbent in regaining their offices.
Adekanmbi stated that there was never a time that the Senator Ajimobi led administration withdrew the said N5.2 billion as claimed by Governor Makinde during the BCOS live programme.
Adekanmbi said no bank in the state and even across Nigeria could release such a large amount as N5.2 billion to any state government in the country, adding that doing so would attract appropriate sanction from the apex bank.
“I want to state here clearly that there was nothing like that. Nobody withdrew such. No government can withdraw N5.2billon in a bank within three weeks. In fact, there was never any N5.2 billion anywhere for the Ajimobi administration to withdraw as claimed by Governor Makinde. It is not possible. No bank can do such a thing,” he said.
Adekanmbi added, “The governor is my brother. I have nothing against him. I think he ought to say the truth. There was nothing like that, nothing like N5.2bn in Oyo state government account while we were in office.“
The former commissioner stated that Governor Makinde ought to have gotten his facts right on the issue before coming on the air to level such a weighty allegations as that of the N5.2billion.
“I think some civil servants that want to retain their offices, looking for his favour, misled him while coming for the programme. They did not tell him the truth, Oyo state never had such an amount anytime.”
On the allegation by Makinde that the Ajimobi-led administration operated over 60 bank accounts, the former commissioner said there was nothing wrong with such, adding that at least, during their tenure in office, Oyo state government was running at least 3 separate accounts per bank for the effective running of its finances.
