Group rejects Ondo 2025 budget tagged irresponsible priorities.

Group rejects Ondo 2025 budget tagged irresponsible priorities.

By Fashina Shakiru

A civil society group, Open Rights Group, has rejected the 2025 budget presented to the Ondo State House of Assembly by the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, describing it as having irresponsible priorities.

This was contained in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Mr Femi Ajimuda made available to newsmen

“The state government intends disservice to the entire people of the state with the annual budget signed into law and manner public tax payers’ money being wasted by insensitive and reckless government”

According to him, “the 2025 approved budget of the state, tagged ‘Budget of Recovery,’ allocated the sum of N350m for the lawmakers with additional N77 million to the office of the Speaker for the maintenance of motor vehicles and transport equipment. Also the sum of N235m approved for telephone calls as the State Assembly will be receiving N200 million, the Speaker N28m and the Deputy Speaker N7 million for telephone charges in 2025. The allocation of N11.5 billion approved for security vote and N250 million for honorarium and sitting allowances and N1.5 billion for contingencies.

The group therefore is calling on the state government and the state house of assembly to immediately reverse the irresponsible priorities for the interest of the people in the state or seek legal redress by dragging the government to court

Ajimuda noted: We are appealing to the nation’s anti corruption agencies especially the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the total abuse of financial regulations by the governor’s cabal to perpetuate illegality in Ondo State state. The governor needs to understand that governance is run with prudence and accountability, not misappropriation of funds or reckless spending to the detriment of the masses.

He said: Allocating a significant amount of resources towards a small group of individuals seems to overlook the struggles and challenges faced by the broader population they represent, particularly during times of economic hardship that are currently affecting both the state and the entire county.

This gross mismanagement and waste of public resources by Governor Aiyedatiwa failed to prioritize meaningful democratic governance, resulting in numerous abandoned infrastructural projects in the state. These public funds belong to the people of Ondo State and should be used to alleviate their suffering, not to criminal security votes, Ajimuda emphasized.

Recall Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa presented a N655 billion budget to the Assembly, which was signed into law on December 30, 2024, after an increase of N43.4 billion in total budget to N698 billion.