Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has dismissed concerns over the transparency of the state’s finances, maintaining that government spending and financial activities are open to public scrutiny.
Hamzat made this known at a town hall meeting organised by BusinessDay, where he responded to questions about accountability and the management of public resources.
He maintained that Lagos residents could access information about government revenue, expenditure, borrowing and infrastructure projects through various official platforms.
According to him, the state releases financial statements quarterly and engages independent auditors every year to examine its accounts.
Defending the government’s record, Hamzat challenged those questioning its transparency to consult the available financial reports, insisting that the documents were not being hidden from the public.
He said, “Somebody on this floor said, I saw the publication, and I critique it.’ It’s because it’s there. It is because it’s there. It is published quarterly. This state gets audited. This government publishes it quarterly.
“Every year, external auditors audit the Lagos State Government; every year, the report is presented publicly. So what you choose to see, well, maybe you need to give it up, but we’ll give it. So the bottom line is that everything today is published.”
The deputy governor also highlighted the state’s procurement system and public-private partnership arrangements, saying residents could obtain details of contracts and projects through designated government websites.
Addressing questions about loans obtained by the state, Hamzat said the Debt Management Office keeps records of government borrowing and ensures that information about financed projects is documented and forwarded to the appropriate authorities.
He said, “But for us, what is important is to make sure that every money that is spent, that we have a DMO office.
“That office must write for every project that we do, for every loan that we get, for everything that we must do. We must send it to SEC, must send it to the Senate. So it’s public information. It’s transparent, it’s open, and you can see what the state government is doing.”
Hamzat further referenced the Blue and Red rail lines as examples of major projects for which the government had made contract costs available.
He said his proposed government would continue with the transparency measures through the Lagos Treasury and the Hamzat Compact, promising to maintain public access to information on the state’s finances, loans and development projects.
