A total of N11.5 billion has been budgeted for security votes in the Ondo State Ministry of Finance, while N6 million was set aside for telephone calls in 2025.

The provision was captured in the budget passed by the Ondo House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa last month, but made public a few weeks ago.

In a copy of the budget sighted by The Guardian, N250 million was provided for honorarium and sitting allowance, while N1.5 billion was for contingency.

A N52 million provision was made for the printing of security documents in the ministry, and N27 million for refreshments.

The breakdown, which was published under serial number 14000100100 in the 2025 fiscal document of the state, has N500 million earmarked for financial consulting, and N1.5 million for insurance premiums.

Also, a total of N450 million was budgeted as electricity charges for 2025, and generator fuel cost was pegged at N61 million.

With the ministry to spend N42 million on local travel, N120 million would be spent on international travel.

Equally, local training, conferences, seminars and workshops would gulp N120 million; office rent, N20 million; and summits, N100 million, as well as welfare packages getting N66 million.

SIMILARLY, N462 million has been budgeted for the maintenance of cars of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the Deputy Speaker, and 24 other lawmakers.

The vote comes, one year after the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, and his deputy, Abayomi Akinruntan, were presented with brand new sport utility vehicles (SUVs) by Governor Aiyedatiwa.

According to the fiscal document tagged ‘Budget of Recovery’, which was seen by The Guardian, the office of the Speaker was provided with N77 million for the maintenance of vehicles and transport equipment, while the office of the Deputy Speaker and the State Assembly were allocated N35 million and N350 million, respectively, for the same purpose.

The lawmakers would also spend N235 million on telephone calls, as the State Assembly will be receiving N200 million, the Speaker, N28 million, and the deputy, N7 million for telephone charges in 2025.

A further search of the budget revealed that a total of N791 million was budgeted for local and international travel for the three composite offices. With the Speaker receiving N181 million, the deputy got N90 million, and the legislature, N520 million.

N200 million was earmarked for the printing of non-security documents for the House of Assembly, while the sum of N25 million was budgeted for the office of the Speaker, and N6 million for that of the deputy. ­

In the breakdown, which was published under serial numbers 11202300100, 11200300100 and 11202100100, N300 million was voted for the lawmakers, with separate welfare packages pegged at N26 million and N11 million for the Speaker and the Deputy.

Additionally, N33 million was budgeted for electricity charges in the office of the Speaker, N8 million for the office of the Deputy Speaker, and N300 million for the entire House of Assembly.

With N20 million allocated for hotel accommodation for the legislators, N50 million was for their refreshments, while the Speaker and his Deputy will receive N25 million and N10 million, respectively.