By Messr Samuel Olabode
THE 2025 Budget of Ondo State approved by the House of Assembly and signed into law by the state governor, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa is designed to strategically help at rebuilding the state’s economy and addressing critical socio – economic challenges.
The Budget which is about N698 billion allocates 62.06% to capital expenditure and 37.94% to recurrent expenditure.
Any genuinely interested member of the public can access the full details of the budget online.
Since the passage of the budget on the 30th of December 2025 many Nigerians have commended the courage of the state government in putting together such an audacious appropriation bill, while some few others are still struggling to understand the import and essence of such income and expenditure proposal.
Among the few who have refused to see anything good in the budget is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State chapter.
In a budget with more than 100 heads, the PDP is saying it is not comfortable with about 2 or 3 of them and because of that, the party wants the Honourable Commissioner for Finance sacked!
And for the purpose of clarification, some of the issues raised are: an alleged N11.5 billion Security Vote in the Ministry of Finance, N250 million for Honorarium and Sitting Allowance and the proposed procurement of one Toyota Prado SUV jeep for the Ministry of Finance.
To start with, a group like the PDP cannot be said not to understand that a budget is a mere proposal. An estimate!
Secondly, that budget drafters must take a lot of variables into account before arriving at conclusions one of which is inflation trend of the economy.
Thirdly, that it is better to have a robust budget than a lean one that may trigger unreconcilable or irreconcilable deficit.
Fourthly, that the budget of a state is prepared by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and also taken to the state’s house of assembly by the Honourable Commissioner of that ministry for budget defense.
Fifth, that the Ondo State’s House of Assembly is made up of 26 honourable members from different political parties, three of which are PDP members.
Is PDP telling Nigerians that it’s members in the house did not participate in scrutinizing or vetting the 2025 budget before approval or did those three PDP members have a “Minority Report” that suggest a different position from other colleagues?
It is only the PDP that can answer the above questions.
However, it should be noted that the implementation of the 2025 budget have not started. So, what is the hue and cry for? Why the query now?
As an indigene and a stakeholder in Ondo State, I equally have the right and responsibility to help checkmate misinformation for mischievous purposes by any individual, group or political party for that matter.
Let us revisit the issues again. It is a lie from the pit of hell by anyone or group to claim that an N11.5 billion Security Vote is for the Ministry of Finance.
The truth of the matter is that, the Ministry of Finance is the statutory warehouse for such funds. In fact, about 70% of the funds allocated to the ministry in the budget is for onward redistribution to concerned MDAs. That is what the law says!
Furthermore, the three outstanding votes in a budget include the security vote, contingency and committee votes and the supervising MDAs have not changed since 1999!
To buy a pin or staple machine or Hilux Prado jeep, the state’s Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) must be involved. Should the price proposed for such item be equal or higher than the current market price then good luck to the state.
The state will save money. But should the price of the item as contained in the budget be lower than what is obtainable in the market as of the time of need due to high inflation what happens? Deficit!
The Honourable Commissioner for Finance by all standard is a comfortable woman who has made good name and fortune in the UK before returning home to contribute her own quota to the growth and development of her state of origin.
As at today, the Lexus RX 570 SUV jeep that she bought brand new by herself and imported even before she became a commissioner is what she uses. The market value of that Lexus SUV is around N500 million!
Nigerians must learn to appreciate others. That woman as far as I know is not desperate for anything in life let alone a vehicle of which she has something of equal or higher value through her own sweat. It not every Nigerian that is corrupt.
It is expected that PDP should have recovered from the shock of the monumental defeat suffered in the last Ondo State gubernatorial election and start the process of rebuilding the party in earnest instead of glamorizing ignorance, rabble rousing and instigating confusion in the polity while pretending to be a viable opposition.
PDP surely need some tutorial in the art of opposition party politics.
To criticize a budget, a political party should be on the lookout for possible infractions in the budget performance.
For instance, if the government claimed it bought a Hilux Prado jeep for N230 million while the current market value is something lower then the PDP can raise the alarm and call the government to question.
Fortunately, in the case of the Toyota Prado SUV, the vehicle has not been bought. To buy such a vehicle if the need arises in the state, as stated earlier, the Bureau of Public Procurement will be involved. Therefore, the attendant noise surrounding the issue is unnecessary.
PDP regrettably, in its desperation to be heard picked on a wrong target for criticism regarding the budget.
The PDP’s recommendation that the Honourable Commissioner for Finance be sacked simply because of some allocations in the budget that concerns her ministry is not only fallacious but also preposterous.
If PDP is confused or in doubt about any aspect of the state’s budget, it should seek knowledge with open mind from the state’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning instead of using the innocent female commissioner to launch itself back to reckoning in Ondo State.
To be continued…
Messr Samuel Olabode writes in from Akure, Ondo State
