Osun Assembly May Not Pass Agencies’ Estimates If…

By Israel Afolabi

Some agencies and parastatals in the State of Osun might face difficulties in the course of cosideration of their 2018 budget estimates, as the House of Assembly has declared that any Ministry, Department and Agency of government and tertiary institutions with unresolved audit queries would not have their estimates considered.

Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon Kamil Oyedele who made the declaration said that such organisations would have to obtain clearance from House Committee on Public Accounts before their estimates could be considered by the legislature.

While stating the readiness of the lawmakers to speed up the process, he noted that agencies without enabling laws would have their estimates merged with that of appropriate ministries.

The lawmaker charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to submit 35 copies of their proposed estimates to the House through the office of Economic Planning, Budget and Development.

He also required for submissions of the 2017 budget performance reports for each of the component heads and sub heads of revenue and expenditure as well as work plan and strategy to realise projected revenue by revenue generating agencies.

Hon. Oyedele also stated that necessary machineries’ should be put in place to ascertain the status of some agencies such as Osun State Planning Commission, Reality Radio Vision Services, OSSADEP and OSSADEC.

He disclosed that the committee has put in place mechanism to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations by different organisations when they come to defend their estimates before the legislature.

According to him, the agencies of government in the state must come with last year’s budget performance and their 2018 estimates defence as a measure to get their estimates approved.

He said part of the consideration for the budget is the proposed minimum wage review, as well as allowing the international financial practice standard to form the guideline in passing the budget.

He maintained that the house has given the committee four weeks to meet with heads of ministries, department and agencies with a view to ensuring compliance with the set rules and regulations.