Sam Philip
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has been invited to investigate the Ondo State 2025 Budget.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extended the invitation to the anti-graft agency on Tuesday in a statement entitled: “ONDO 2025 BUDGET OF LOOTING.”
In the statement signed by state Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, said EFCC should ask why the Ministry of Finance was allocated N11.5 billion as security vote, which is different from the one being received by the governor on monthly basis.
PDP insisted that EFCC must come to the state to be thorough in its investigation and expose any discrepancies.
The statement reads in parts: “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.”