- Say 2025 budget unrealistic, opaque, insincere
- Your allegation is a smear campaign, APC knocks opposition party
The Ondo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has condemned the 2025 budget, which was just passed and signed into law by the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Aiyedatiwa has signed the 2025 appropriation bill of a sum of N698, 659,496,000 into law, a week after the state House of Assembly had passed the budget into law for the fiscal year.
Out of the sum, a total of N265, 037,496,000 was earmarked for recurrent expenditure, while N433, 622,000,000 was allocated for capital expenditure.
However, the opposition party has described the budget as a budget of looting as it disclosed that the government budgeted N11.5 billion to the state ministry of finance as a ‘security vote’, while other ministries were allocated less amount, particularly Ministries of Education and Health.
In a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kennedy Peretei, on Tuesday, the opposition party described the budget as a budget of looting.
The statement read, “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 the Ministry of Finance as a ‘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 the Speaker of the Ondo State Assembly, respectively, as phone expenses. The 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 an official stamp in this reckless manner. Critical sectors like Education and Health Care received only N77.024 billion and N46.016 billion, respectively. Is there any doubt as to why Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s government has achieved nothing since its inception over a year ago? The focus is more on looting than the development of the state.
The PDP called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the budget.
“We want to call on the 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, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, has denied the allegation, saying it was a misrepresentation of fact from the opposition party.
He said, “It’s clear that the PDP’s bitterness from overwhelmingly losing the last governorship election to the APC is still festering, and they’re desperate to discredit the ruling party’s administration. The claims of “looting” and “dubious allocations” are nothing but a smear campaign.
“The Ondo State 2025 Appropriation Act, signed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is a well-thought-out budget designed to drive economic growth, improve infrastructure, and enhance the overall well-being of our citizens. The allocations to various ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, are transparent and in line with the state’s development priorities.”
Similarly, an Akure-based legal practitioner, Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, has described the 2025 budget by the state government as unrealistic, opaque, and insincere.
Emodamori noted that the budget was riddled with unverified economic figures, querying the rationale behind the security votes allocated for the state finance commissioner.
The legal practitioner described the N200m allocated for the Speaker of the House of Assembly and security votes for the finance commissioner in the 2025 budget as totally scandalous, senseless, tactless, and heartbreaking.
He said, “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.
“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.
“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 got an approval for a strange, unprecedented, and illegal N11b as ‘Security Vote’ in the same budget, under the watch of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa? Are these allegations mere political propaganda and smear campaigns?
“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 cross check 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.”
Under the 2025 budget, a total of N11.5 billion has been budgeted for security votes in the Ondo State Ministry of Finance, while N6 million was set aside for telephone calls in 2025.
In a copy of the budget, 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 breakdown, which was published under serial number 14000100100 in the 2025 fiscal document of the state, includes N500 million earmarked for financial consulting and N1.5 million for insurance premiums.
Additionally, a total of N450 million was budgeted to cater to electricity charges for 2025, and generator fuel costs were pegged at N61 million.
The Ministry will spend N42 million on local travels and transport, and N120 million will be allocated for international travel and transport.
Also, 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.
A critical review of the state’s 2025 budget document reveals that the State House of Assembly plans to allocate N200 million for telephone charges.
The document shows that between January and September 2024, the state government spent N39 million on telephone charges.
This indicates a projected monthly expenditure of N16 million on telephone charges in 2025, amounting to approximately N533, 333 per day in a 30-day month.
It would also mean that every hour the state plans to spend N22, 222 on telephone charges.
Another N10 million has been allocated for the House Committee’s telephone charges.
A further analysis of the approved budget document reveals that the estimated cost for local travel and transport (other) is set at N320 million, international travel and transport (training) is projected to cost N100 million, while international travel and transport (others) is also budgeted at N100 million.
The House of Assembly intends to allocate N350 million for the maintenance of motor vehicles and other transport equipment.
Refreshments and meals are expected to gulp N50 million.
The House Committees are allocated N100 million for local travel and transport (others).
The Ondo State House of Assembly has also planned to spend N245 million on purchasing three vehicles (SUVs) for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Majority Leader.
An additional N2.1 billion has been earmarked for the acquisition of 27 Fortuna SUVs for the 26 members of the House of Assembly and the Clerk of the House.
Furthermore, N1.040 billion is budgeted for the purchase of 13 Toyota Corolla cars, including the cost of delivery, registration, and insurance for the Clerk, 10 directors, and three deputy clerks.
Another N425 million is allocated for the purchase of five Hilux vans for the State House of Assembly.