The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be thorough in their investigation in the ‘2025 Budget’ of the Ondo State Government being approved by the State House of Assembly.
Recall that the State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, late last year signed the N698.659 billion 2025 Appropriation Bill into law and passed by the State House of Assembly.
In a copy of the budget seen by our correspondent, a total of N11.5 billion was budgeted for security votes in the Ondo State Ministry of Finance, while N6 million was set aside for telephone calls in 2025, N250 million was provided for honorarium and sitting allowance, and N1.5 billion for contingency, N52 million was allocated for printing security documents in the ministry and N27 million for refreshments and meals.
The Finance Ministry will also spend N42 million on local travel and transport, and N120 million will be allocated for international travel and transport, while N120 million is earmarked for local training, conferences, seminars, and workshops; N20 million for office rent; N100 million for summits; and N66 million for welfare packages.
Also in the copy of the budget tagged; “Budget of Recovery”, a total of N462 million was budgeted for the maintenance of cars belonging to the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Deputy Speaker, and the other 24 legislators in the state.
The office of the Speaker was provided with N77 million for the maintenance of motor vehicles and transport equipment, while the office of the Deputy Speaker and the State Assembly were allocated N35 million and N350 million, respectively, for the same purpose.
Also, in the budget passed by the Assembly in December 2024, the lawmakers, including the Speaker and the Deputy, will expend N235 million on telephone calls, as the State Assembly will be receiving N200 million, the Speaker N28 million, and the Deputy N7 million for telephone charges in 2025.
Additionally, N33 million was budgeted for electricity charges in the office of the Speaker, N8 million for the office of the Deputy Speaker, and N300 million for the entire House of Assembly, N50 million was set aside for their refreshments and meals, while the critical sectors like Education and Health received only N77.024billion and N46.016billion respectively.
But the PDP in Ondo State, through its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday in Akure, however, described the budget as a “budget of looting”.
The statement reads; “the Ondo State 2025 Appropriation Act, signed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa can be appropriately described as a “Budget of Looting”. Surprisingly the Governor called it a “Budget of Recovery”.
“Of the N698B earmarked for spending in the year 2025, a whooping N11.5B was allocated to Ministry of Finance as “Security Vote”. Not even Budget experts could explain the meaning of security vote in a Ministry, different from the one the Governor receives monthly under the same sub-head.
“There are other outrageous allocations such as N200m to House of Assembly Members and N280m to Speaker of the Ondo State Assembly, respectively as phone expenses.
“The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Ondo State Chapter is not in any doubt that, these dubious allocations are certainly not in the interest of the State as they are brazen, “the devil never cares” moves to empty the State Treasury.
“There is nowhere in the world where the people’s monies are so stolen with official stamp in this reckless manner.
“Critical sectors like Education and Health Care received only N77.024B and N46.016B respectively. Is there any doubt, why the Gov Lucky Aiyedatiwa ‘s government has achieved nothing since its inception over a year ago? The focus is more on looting than development of the State.
“Our party calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be thorough in their investigation of the stealing of public funds in Ondo State, through the 2025 Budget.
“No State can make progress if those entrusted with the people’s funds are not accountable but use under-hand tactics to steal.”
However, an Akure-based legal practitioner, Femi Emodamori, has demanded for the immediate resignation of the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji and the State Commissioner for Finance, Omowumi Isaac, if these allegations against them are true.
According to him, “they need not wait to be investigated by the EFCC.”
Emodamori said; “we have 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and 365 days in a year. So, we have 1,440 minutes in a day (60 x 24) and 525,600 minutes in a year (1440 x 365). Even with the recent approval for a 50% increase in call tariff from N11 to N16.5 per minute by the Federal Government, a non-stop telephone call for the entire 525,600 minutes in a year would cost only N8,672,400.
“The allegation that the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly claimed, inserted, and approved N200m as telephone call allowance for his office in the 2025 Ondo State Budget is, therefore, totally scandalous, senseless, tactless, and heartbreaking. Could this be part of a mutual arrangement by the Executive and Legislative arms of Government in Ondo State to plunder the State, particularly in view of the allegation that the State’s Commissioner for Finance (just a Commissioner) got an approval for a strange, unprecedented, and illegal N11Billion as ‘Security Vote’ in the same Budget, under the watch of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa? Are these allegations mere political propaganda and smear campaign?
“Unfortunately, unlike the normal practice in the days of late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the current Ondo State 2025 Budget is not on the State Government’s official website for Nigerians to crosscheck the facts and figures. However, if these allegations are true, then, I demand the immediate resignation of Mr. Speaker and the State Commissioner for Finance. They need not wait to be investigated by the EFCC.
“If, on the other hand, the allegations are false or inaccurate, there is a need for the Speaker and State Commissioner for Finance to immediately allay the fears and concerns of the people of Ondo and all well-meaning Nigerians by publishing the 2025 Budget of Ondo State as assented to by the Governor on the State Government’s website.”
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