BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Osun State House of Assembly has written to the Head of Service to ask the General Manager of Osun Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System, Babatunde Olusegun Samuel, to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation of allegations of financial impropriety leveled against him.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by Olamide Tiamiyu, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, the recommendation of the parliament was contained in a letter signed by the clerk of the House on behalf of the speaker.
“It will be recalled that the Osun State House of Assembly received a petition from the Coalition of Good Governance on the misappropriation of funds leveled against the General Manager.
“The petition was thereafter forwarded to the Auditor-General of the State for audit investigation on the accounts and activities of the Agency.
“The report of the audit investigation which was issued to the Honourable Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly revealed that there are payments made without documentation from the project account of the agency which accrued to millions of naira.
“Also, there are procurement irregularities, poor record-keeping of transactions as well as expenditures not accounted for at all, which contravenes the Financial Regulations 32004, 05004, 09004 and 09002.
“Upon receiving the report of the audit investigation, the Osun State House of Assembly has recommended to the Head of Service to ask Dr. Babatunde Olusegun Samuel, General Manager OSEMSAS to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation.
“Also, the Head of Service is requested to appoint a competent officer as General Manager to serve in Acting Capacity to facilitate the smooth running of the Agency,” the statement read.
