- Govt Reacts, Gives Explanation On Spendings
Citizens and residents of Osun State have taken to the local and mainstream media to express their displeasure over the alarming figures embedded in the 2023 Third Quarter Budget Performance Report of the State Government.
The residents who mostly took to their various social media platforms berated the allocations and public spending rate of Governor Ademola Adeleke, his aides and MDAs under the Office of the Governor.
The details of the spendings of government ministries, departments and agencies were contained in the Osun State 3rd Quarter 2023 budget performance report published on the website of the state government where the statements of income and expenditure for the period between July-September 2023 were provided with a breakdown.
From the report, Osun Defender gathered that the government spent over N2 billion on refreshment/meals and welfare packages for its officials.
In the breakdown, N1,759,466,120.21 was spent on welfare packages while N456,401,074.13 was used for refreshment and meals.
Also in the document, the government claimed another N400million was used for publicity and advertisements.
According to state records, the amount is different from the N209 million spent on personal expenditure in the governor’s office.
According to the document: “This document provides information on the performance of the 2023 budget for the third quarter (July September). It is prepared quarterly and published within four weeks (28 days) of the end of each Quarter,” the report posted on the state website had read.
“The Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development developed a comprehensive Revenue and Expenditure Framework during the preparation of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The implementation process of the FY 2023 budget commenced on the 1st of January, 2023 and will end on 31st of December, 2023 as approved by the Osun State House of Assembly.
“On the 15th of August, 2023, the Revised budget was approved by the State House of Assembly and assented by the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke. The need for a revised budget is to allow the State Government carryout activities which will make positive impact on the Economy of the State.
“The Budget Implementation Committee reviews the budget performance on quarterly basis before publishing online. However, the Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development has sustained efforts required to ensure improvements in Public Financial and Resource Management and activities in the State.
“This report includes the Approved Budget Appropriation (2023 Original Budget), 2023 revised budget against each organizational unit for each of the core economic classification of expenditures (Personnel, Overheads, Capital, and Others); the actual expenditures, for the quarter Three (Q3), attributed to each Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as the cumulative expenditures for the year to date, and balances against each of the revenue and expenditure appropriations.
“The Budget performance for Quarter Three (Q3) reflects the actual inflow and outflow of resources in the State as at the end of 2023 Third Quarter with respect to the 2023 revised estimates.”
Govt Reacts, Says It Only Spent N8b In 3 Months
Reacting, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi said the government spent only N8 billion in three months.
Alimi explained that the monies in the report were not unilaterally spent by Governor Adeleke, but the seven agencies under his office, as well as the state tertiary institutions.
The government’s spokesperson hinted that the present administration has sọ far been prudent with its spending, as well as shown commitment to deliver good governance.
The statement reads: “The government of Osun state has denied news reports that Governor Ademola Adeleke spent N8 billion in three months, clarifying that the Governor’s office comprises more than seven agencies and departments alongside many government wide operations and activities.
“Describing as laughable the presumption that the Governor’s office stands for Mr Governor alone, the statement by the Commissioner for Information, Hon Kolapo Alimi noted that the allocation to Governor’s office stands for capital, recurrent and overhead cost of all agencies, departments and units operating within the Governor’s office and with several government wide responsibilities.
“While clearing the Governor of any misdemeanor, the statement noted that the Sahara publication mischievously and falsely attributed expenditure on refurbishment of government quarters, Imole Medical outreach, salaries and emoluments of staff of several agencies and other governmental activities as expenses by the Governor.
“This is false and mere fabrication arising from deliberate misinterpretation of budget data, the government affirmed, listing several departments under Governor’s office to include Bureau of Social Services, Office of Sustainable Development Goals, security department, Osun Investment Promotion Agency, Osun New Town Development Agency, Osun Signage Agency, Osun Agric and Osun Land bank among others.
“Government expenditure across the various departments include refurbishment of vandalised government quarters, procurement of official vehicles, replacement of vehicles carted away by the previous government, refurbishment of offices of agencies that make up the Office of the Governor which were left in terrible states by the previous administration; provision of funds for the execution of Imole medical outreach series; provision of funds for emergencies in the welfare of the citizens as individuals and groups.
“The N6.01 Billion referred to in the publication therefore encompasses the entire expenditures (Personnel, Overhead & Capital) of the Office of the Governor including the agencies and parastatals under it, for the period in question.
“The statement posited further that the personnel cost which was a sum of 209m was for the 771 staff of twelve Bureau and Offices under the Office of Governor while the overhead which was a sum of N4 billion represent the amount spent on acquisition/replacement of vehicles and financing of Imole Medical outreach
“The 1.7B on Capital represents the amount spent on the refurbishment of quarters and government offices.
“In the same vein, the N800m naira referred to in the publication represents the entire expenditure of the State House of Assembly for the period.
“It should be noted that the amount quoted for the refreshment and meal, welfare packages, and publicity and advertising were meant for all the Ministries, Department and Agencies including all Tertiary Institutions in the State.
“Moreso, the fraction spent by the Office of the Governor from these, include the amount expended on the second phase of Imole Medical Outreach conducted for the three (3) Senatorial Districts of the State.
“The Government noted that the details provided above confirmed that the Governor did not spend any money outside his statutory salaries and allowances while the fund in question were mostly the overhead, capital and personnel cost of agencies and departments under the Governor’s office with government wide mandate and operations,” the statement read.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
