Gbenga Omotosho: We’re not trying to protect Tinubu with Lagos anti-graft law

Gbenga Omotosho, Lagos commissioner for information, says the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration is not seeking to protect any personality with the anti-graft law it recently signed. 

On Sunday, TheCable reported that the governor signed a law establishing an anti-corruption agency with “exclusive” rights to probe cases of corruption that have to do with the state.

This nascent agency will take over cases relating to Lagos from agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The news stirred criticism on social media as some Nigerians questioned the motive of the law.

But speaking on Arise TV on Tuesday, Omotosho said the law was not enacted to protect any personality, adding that the insinuations are a product of the fertile imagination of critics.

He said the law is to enforce accountability on anyone dealing with the state’s funds.

“The idea that the law is to protect either Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu or anybody is highly speculative, presumptuous and in the conjectural imagination of anybody thinking so. It’s out of place for anybody to think that a law will be made because of a section of the society or some personalities,” the commissioner said.

“That’s not the aim of the law. Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor, said very clearly when he signed the law that he signed it for accountability so that people won’t misappropriate the state’s funds and get away with it.

“Why is it that people are talking about some personalities when you talk about corruption, they are not even talking about contractors who may go away with the state’s money without doing any job. There are many people who are supposed to be reined in through this law, not just some people.”