Aregbesola is being investigated by Gbajabiamila for stealing N165 billion prison money.

Aregbesola is being investigated by Gbajabiamila for stealing N165 billion prison money.

Aregbesola is being investigated by Gbajabiamila for stealing N165 billion prison money.

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At the House of Representatives, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, a staunch supporter of presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, has launched a massive corruption investigation into interior minister Rauf Aregbesola.

NewsReport gathered that on Wednesday, Mr. Gbajabiamila presided over a plenary when it was determined that Mr. Aregbesola and the prisons commissioner, Haliru Nababa, should be investigated for mismanaging up to N165 billion in monies meant for prisons improvement across the country.

The resolution came after the minority leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, moved a motion of urgent public interest on the House floor on Wednesday in Abuja. Mr. Elumelu criticized the workers’ well-being in his speech.

“The House is disturbed that despite this Act and increase in budgetary allocations to the Nigerian Correctional Service to drive its renewed mandate, the tempo, and quality of the Service have remained the same if not retrogressing,” Mr. Elumelu said. “The House is worried that the working conditions of Staff and inmates’ welfare have deteriorated notwithstanding the over N165 billion budget allocations to the Service in the last two years.”

The legislators resolved to have its committee on Reformatory Institutions investigate the allegations and report to the House within 12 weeks for further legislative action.

The move comes as Messrs Aregbesola and Tinubu are slugging it out publicly over the power tussle in Osun state. On Monday, Mr. Aregbesola was at a political rally where Mr. Tinubu was severely derided, including being mocked over the viral video that many said amounted to public urination on his body.

Mr. Aregbesola has been locked in a fierce political fray with his former chief of staff and successor, Gboyega Oyetola, accusing him and Mr. Tinubu of conniving to destroy his legacy in Osun. Messrs Tinubu and Oyetola are believed to be of the same family, with Mr. Oyetola often describing himself as a younger brother to Mr. Tinubu.

Peoples Gazette has reached Mr. Gbajabiamila’s office to find out whether or not the probe has a connection to the ongoing rift between Messrs Tinubu and Aregbesola