Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, Mr Oyedele Alao, has faulted Governor Seyi Makinde’s operation of multiple budgets since assumption of office in 2019.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan yesterday, Alao, a former governorship candidate on the platform of Alliance for Democracy, said the persistent operation of multiple budgets is inimical to fiscal prudence in governance.
According to him, the recently approved N299.8 billion supplementary budget in Oyo State raised troubling questions about transparency, accountability and fiscal prudence in governance.
He argued that repeated supplementation inflates the state’s budget beyond reason, complicating effective fund management and inviting sharp practices that could undermine the public’s trust in government finances.
“The 2025 approved budget stands at N684 billion, with key allocations going to infrastructure, education and economic stabilisation, yet repeated additions push the total to N984 billion,” he said.
Alao warned that duplicating funds for sectors like health and education already covered in the main budget add unnecessary complexity and undermines the integrity of the state’s fiscal framework.
He cited poor implementation of previous budgets, noting only 65 percent performance in 2024 and 11.4 percent actual capital expenditure in the first quarter of 2025 as indicators of failure.
Alao described the budget pattern as a threat to fiscal discipline, compounded by reported wasteful spending such as the extravagant renovation of the Government House, condemned by the US Embassy.
He advised the state to adopt a single and realistic annual budget, saying this would protect public funds, ensure transparent governance and improve the delivery of socio-economic benefits to the people of Oyo. (NAN)
