The Lagos State House of Assembly has described as unfounded, the allegation made by an anti-corruption coalition that it awarded a N17 billion contract for the construction of the Assembly’s gate.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Mr Stephen Ogundipe, made the clarification in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that an anti-corruption group, Lagos State Anti Corruption Coalition, had recently petitioned the Economic Financial and Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the House leadership for awarding the gate contract.

Reacting, Ogundipe described the petition as frivolous, adding that it was designed to discredit the House for political motives.

The chairman said the gate project at the assembly had been executed over three years ago, adding that there was no recent project like that at the state House of Assembly.

He said it was worthy to let the group know that though the Assembly had its procurement unit, it still relied on the state government’s procurement process from start to finish.

According to him, it is preposterous to think that in Lagos, contracts are like witchcraft and it’s nocturnal posting.

“For a few days now, there have been some attempts to bring to disrepute the exemplary successes of the Assembly and its leadership.

“Our silence over some of the issues raised by a group which tags itself as the Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, a hitherto unknown body claiming to be fighting corruption, does not amount to consent.

“However, because we did not want to glorify what looked like information sourced from a beer parlour or joint with a response, we feel the need to lay the facts bare because of the regard we have for Nigerians and the belief in posterity.

“The Lagos State House of Assembly is an institution that bases its activities on facts and realistic evidence, not grapevine as put forward by the fictional group.

“For instance, how will any person or group even imagine that such a humongous amount as N17 billion could be allocated for the construction of a gate’? Just one gate?

“Even if the gate is made of gold, would it cost such an amount? To the group that decided to rush to the public without thinking through or double-checking what it said it sourced through ‘grapevine’.

“It is good to know that there was no project like that at the House of Assembly as claimed. The gates at the House had been fixed over three years ago, ”he said.

The chairman added there was no need for the group and its traducers to try to pad up their stories with old allegations that had been adjudicated upon and trashed by the court.

He accused the group of trying to “lump everything together to create a make-belief in the eyes of the public”.

Ogundipe reiterated that the Assembly had grown beyond the common standards of excellence and that residents would continue to work in harmony for the peace, progress and development of the state.

Lagos Assembly denies awarding N17bn contract for gate project