Ondo governor Aiyedatiwa signs N395 billion 2024 budget

Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has signed into law the state’s 2024 budget of N395 billion.

The appropriation bill was signed a few hours after the State House of Assembly passed the appropriation bill.

The total budget comprises 56.23 percent capital expenditure, while the remaining 43.77 percent is recurrent.

While delivering his address, Aiyedatiwa said the budget tagged ‘Budget of Economic Resilience’ would be utilised for the development and growth of the state in the 2024 fiscal year.

He said, “You will all recall that on Thursday, December 21, 2023, I presented the 2024 budget estimates of N384b, christened the Budget of Economic Resilience, to the State House of Assembly for legislative consideration. The House, in its characteristic devotion to our people’s cause, has painstakingly considered the budget and passed it.

“I must thank Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Chairman, the Members of the House Committee on Appropriation, and all Honourable Members for the detailed scrutinization and prompt passage of the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

“I must put on record that generally, this administration has enjoyed a very cordial relationship with the Legislature, and this has enabled us to deliver considerably on our promises to our people. This is a good legacy of our dear Arakunrin that must be sustained.

“The Executive Arm of Government will put its shoulder to the wheel to implement the 2024 budget with the probity and transparency it deserves. In pursuit of this, the 2024 budget details will be made available on the Ondo State portal, www.ondobudget.org, for access and monitoring.

“The focus of this budget, as I said in my budget speech, is human capital development. Emphasis would also be placed on climate change, a clean and sustainable environment, rural development, and food security, while on-going legacy infrastructural projects of our dearly departed Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and CON would be completed.

“Furthermore, we would keep meeting salary, pension, and gratuity obligations to our serving and retired officers, as applicable.”

Meanwhile, the budget, which was passed by the Ondo State House of Assembly following the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, presented by its Chairman, was jerked up by N10.7 billion.

Speaking on the bill, the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, said that when signed into law, it would turn around the state and trigger development and growth.

Oladiji commended the committee for its promptness and timeliness with regard to the bill and extended his appreciation to the state Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget.