The Oyo State Government has dismissed as false a report alleging that it spent N683.7 million to procure two vehicles, describing the claim as a misinterpretation of official financial records.
The government’s position was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, following a publication by an online media outfit which alleged that the state spent the amount on a 2004 Toyota Camry and a 10-seater Toyota Hiace bus.
According to Olanrewaju, the N683.7 million figure did not represent the cost of purchasing the two vehicles but appeared under the budget line titled “Advertisement and Publicity Awareness for the Public.”
He explained that the figure represented programme-level expenditure covering several activities and components, while the vehicles referenced in the publication were only part of the programme’s logistics.
“The N683.7m figure is not a vehicle procurement cost,” Olanrewaju said, adding that the audited financial statement did not assign the amount to the two vehicles.
The government also faulted the interpretation of the audited statement, noting that the Sahara Reporters report itself acknowledged that the document did not provide a breakdown of the amount spent on the Toyota Camry and Hiace bus, nor state their individual prices or whether other expenses were included.
It said the publication nevertheless presented the entire N683.7 million as the cost of the two vehicles.
The government also cited other vehicle procurement figures contained in the same audited financial statement, including N140 million for a 30-seater Toyota Coaster, 2015 model; N156.95 million for a 2021 Toyota Hiace Hummer bus; and N28.98 million and N50.71 million for Toyota Corolla vehicles from 2019/2020.
Olanrewaju argued that the cited figures did not support the allegation that N683.7 million was spent on a 2004 Toyota Camry and a 10-seater Toyota Hiace.
“It is therefore illogical to suggest that the state paid N683m for a 2004 Camry and a 10-seater Hiace,” he said.
The government maintained that no line item in the audited financial statement supported the claim that N683.7 million was spent on the two vehicles, describing the report as an inaccurate interpretation of the financial records.
It urged media organisations to exercise professional care when reporting information contained in government financial documents, stressing the need for scrutiny to be grounded in the records.
The government also reiterated the commitment of the Seyi makinde administraton to transparency, accountability and responsible financial management, saying its audited financial statements were publicly available and prepared in accordance with statutory requirements.