The Oyo State Government has dismissed as false a publication by Sahara Reporters alleging that the state spent N683.7 million to procure two vehicles, describing the report as a sensational interpretation of official financial records.
The government, in a statement issued in response to the publication, said the N683.7 million figure cited in the report was not the cost of purchasing a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Hiace bus, as alleged.
It explained that the amount appeared under the budget line titled “Advertisement and Publicity Awareness for the Public,” which, according to the government, represented programme-level expenditure covering multiple activities and components.
The vehicles mentioned in the publication, it said, were merely part of the programme’s logistics and not standalone purchases valued at N683.7 million.
The government maintained that the audited financial statement cited by Sahara Reporters did not assign the N683.7 million figure to the two vehicles.
“ The N683.7m figure is not a vehicle procurement cost. The amount appears under the budget line titled ‘Advertisement and Publicity Awareness for the Public.’
“This is a programme-level expenditure, covering multiple activities and components.
“The vehicles mentioned in the report were merely part of the programme’s logistics, not standalone purchases valued at N683m,” the statement said.
The state government further pointed out that the Sahara Reporters article itself acknowledged that the financial document did not provide a breakdown of how much was spent on the Toyota Camry and the Hiace bus.
According to the government, the publication also admitted that the document did not state the individual prices of the vehicles or indicate whether other expenses were included in the amount.
It, however, faulted the decision to publish a headline suggesting that N683.7 million was spent on the two vehicles despite the alleged limitations in the document.
The government said actual vehicle procurement figures contained in the same audited financial statement showed different amounts for specific vehicles.
It listed the figures as follows:
Toyota Coaster, 30-seater, 2015 model — N140 million.
Toyota Hiace Hummer Bus, 2021 model — N156.95 million.
Toyota Corolla, 2019/2020 model — N28.98 million and N50.71 million.
The government argued that the figures demonstrated that the alleged N683.7 million expenditure on a 2004 Toyota Camry and a 10-seater Toyota Hiace bus was not supported by the financial records cited in the report.
“It is therefore illogical to suggest that the state paid N683m for a 2004 Camry and a 10-seater Hiace,” it said.
The administration described the Sahara Reporters’ headline as a distortion based on assumption rather than evidence, insisting that no line item in the audited financial statement supported the claim that the state spent N683.7 million on the two vehicles.
The government said the public deserved accurate information and urged media organisations to exercise professional responsibility when reporting financial documents.
It reaffirmed the commitment of the Seyi Makinde-led administration to transparency, accountability and responsible financial management, adding that the state’s audited financial statements were publicly available and prepared in accordance with statutory requirements.
“We welcome scrutiny, but such scrutiny must be grounded in facts,” the statement added.
The government added that the claim that Oyo State spent N683.7 million to purchase the two vehicles was entirely false, misleading and inconsistent with the financial records cited, calling on media organisations to avoid misrepresenting official documents.