From Segun OlatunjI, Abeokuta
FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole has said that about N1trillion realised from unspent budget was returned to the coffers of the Federal Government during his tenure.
According to Bankole, while about N500 billion was returned in the first year of his tenure, N300 billion and N120 billion were returned in the second and third years, respectively.
The former Speaker disclosed this while delivering the 4th Open Lecture Series of the Institute of Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. He spoke on the topic “Tertiary Education: The Pathway to Sustainable Development.”
Bankole revealed that despite the pressures from some unnamed persons, he would not allow the House of Representatives under his leadership to pass any Appropriation Bill into law until the funds from the unspent budget of the previous year had been returned to the Federation Account.
He expressed regret that those who occupied the seat of the Speaker of the House of Representatives before him did not take such steps, adding that no one could ascertain how much had been returned through the same process since his exit from office five years ago.
Bankole, however, challenged higher institutions of learning in the country to produce people of impeccable character who would lead the country.
The former speaker said though he remained the youngest Speaker the country had ever produced, he had for long prepared himself for such a challenge before he got the opportunity to occupy the number four position in the leadership of the country.