The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has criticized Governor Seyi Makinde’s proposed N679 billion budget for 2025, labeling it another “fictitious” document intended to enrich a select few within the corridors of power.
The opposition party accused the governor of turning the state into his “personal estate” since he assumed office in 2019.
Recall that Governor Makinde presented the N679 billion budget proposal to the State House of Assembly on Wednesday for legislative review and approval. However, the APC has dismissed the proposal, which Makinde referred to as a “Budget of Economic Stabilization,” as a far cry from an effective financial plan for the state.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC claimed that the budget presentation was merely a formality, done to satisfy political requirements. They argued that the governor did not consult key stakeholders during the budget preparation process and would likely ignore the document after its passage. The APC further criticized Makinde for not including any specific projects that would account for the 51 percent of the proposed budget.
The party also questioned the governor’s claim that the 2025 budget was based on input from the people of Oyo State, calling it false and urging Makinde to provide details on the projects that would consume the lion’s share of the budget. They also demanded clarification on the planned introduction of the N80,000 minimum wage, which Makinde recently announced, and requested transparency regarding the state’s wage bill in relation to the 2025 recurrent expenditure, according to Independent.
Oyo APC further took issue with Makinde’s self-assessment of the 2024 budget, which he claimed had been 70 percent successfully implemented. The party questioned the governor’s criteria for such a rating, particularly in light of ongoing issues in the state’s health sector, including widespread fears of diseases like Lassa fever, cholera, and smallpox. They also pointed out the understaffing and poor conditions faced by personnel in public hospitals.
The APC attributed the relatively successful Ibadan Urban Flood Management Projects to funding from the World Bank, rather than any efforts by the state government. They also criticized the sudden announcement of a N41 billion contract for the upgrade of Alakia Airport, which was not mentioned in the 2024 budget and lacked transparency in the award process.
Additionally, the APC accused the Makinde administration of mismanaging public funds, citing the N5.2 billion spent on the renovation of Adamasingba Stadium. Despite the full release of funds, essential facilities like swimming pools, training pitches, and toilets have not been completed.
The party also highlighted what they described as the governor’s failure to properly address road infrastructure, referencing the Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road, which was recently inaugurated but is only accessible to light vehicles and motorcycles. The APC concluded by predicting that Makinde’s administration would continue to mismanage funds through fictitious projects, with no real benefits to the people of Oyo State.
“Experts have had reasons to ask questions on the values which annual budgetary rituals have added to the socio-economic and infrastructural development of Oyo state in the last five years. Apparently, they are aware of the abracadabra which the governor does with the management of the finances of the state without any recourse to public opinion, due process and the need for accountability.
“As far as Oyo APC is concerned, the claim by Gov. Makinde that the 2025 Budget Proposal had the input of the people of the state is false even as we challenge him to come out clean on the specific projects which would gulp the 51 per center of the total N679billion.
Also, we have expected him (Makinde) to quote the exact period which workers should expect the commencement of the payment of the N80,000 minimum wage which he announced recently as well as the monthly total of the state wage bill to justify the amount quoted as recurrent expenditure in the 2025 Budget.
“Gov. Makinde claimed 70 per cent successful implementation of the N515billion Budget for 2024 but we do not know the parameters he used to score himself. In the health sector of the state, residents live under the fear of lassa fever, cholera, small pox among others while the personnel in our understaffed public hospitals groan on account of poor condition of service.
“But for the World Bank which bankrolls Ibadan Urban Flood Management Projects, the whole of the state capital (Ibadan) would have been washed away by flood and erosion.
“The administration of Gov. Makinde woke up suddenly few weeks ago and signed N41billion as contract sum for the upgrade of the airport in Alakia. While the idea was a good one, it was not contained in the 2024 Budget and there is no record of due process followed in the award of that contract.
The Adamasingba stadium renovation which gulped N5.2billion was another fraud perpetrated by the PDP administration of Engr. Makinde. Years after the release of the full contract sum, basic facilities in that stadium such as swimming pool, training pitch, toilets etc are no where to be found.
“Sad enough, Gov. Makinde recently revealed that he had wasted huge sums of money on two or three occasions in the last five years to fix some inner roads in Ibadan only to realize that what those roads required was total reconstruction.
“The much advertised Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road inaugurated few months ago has been limited to the use of light cars and motorcycles only and we all what informed this decision.
The whole world would not be surprised to hear about Gov. Makinde awarding contact for the linking of Eleyele and Asejire rivers together to produce an ocean in Ibadan since his administration must siphon money through fictitious projects.” APC said.
