Ondo State House of Assembly has raised the alarm over alleged arrangement by the displaced Speaker, Hon. Bamidele Oloyelogun, to pass the reordered budget forwarded to the Assembly by Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State.
State lawmakers totaling 18 said the passage of the reordered budget will be “unconstitutional.”
Fatai Olotu, Chairman of the Committee on Information of the Ondo State House of Assembly, had said the two main principals of the Assembly were removed due to their “gross incompetence.”
The lawmakers said, “It has come to our attention that the impeached Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly will be passing what is unconstitutionally known as a reordered budget today. We wish to state that the request for the passage of this Bill is one of the major reasons why we chose to remove and suspend the former leadership of the House on Friday, 9th November, 2018.”
The group added, “Rt Hon Oleyeloogun had informed us that the Governor was desirous of passing the bill into law as quickly as possible under a procedure unknown to our Standing Rules, indeed, unknown to any known law of our state or Nigeria.
“By this Bill, the government seeks to cover the many shady and unappropriated approvals and spendings which are in excess of what is authorised by the budget. In the instant case, there are so many cases of moving funds from one head of expenditure to fund another head to the detriment of the expectations of our dear people of Ondo State, and there are so many cases of unjustified spendings particularly under some ministries that are under the purview of persons who are dear to the heart of the Governor.
“There are many curious and inexplicable expenditures, particularly under the Government House and Protocols, while important heads of expenditure specifically designed to ameliorate one hardship or the other for our people would have their allotted funds moved into heads that are only important to Mr Governor and his hangers- on.”
