Osun Assembly passes N138.2bn 2023 budget, four days to Adeleke's swearing in

Four days before the inauguration of a new governor, the Osun State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed the 2023 budget of the state.

The appropriation bill of N138.2 billion was presented to the lawmakers by outgoing Governor Gboyega Oyetola whose tenure ends on Sunday.

My Oyetola, who is of the All Progressives Congress (APC), will hand over to Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, having lost his bid for a second term.

The budget which has personnel expenditure of N45,450,655,060, recurrent expenditure of N53,755,885,370 and capital expenditure of N39,059,447,710 was presented to the Assembly through a letter dated 29 September.

Christened “Budget of Consolidation” by the governor, the appropriation bill was passed into law at Wednesday plenary of the House.

By the development, Osun State becomes the first state in Nigeria to pass the 2023 budget.

Initially, the governor proposed a total budget of N136.2 billion to the Assembly but the amount was later increased by N2 billion.

The increment, according to the governor and the lawmakers, will be used to commence operation at the newly established University of Ilesa, raising the total to N138.2 billion.

Timothy Owoeye, Speaker of the Assembly, after passage of the bill, commended the state governor for making use of the previous budgets judiciously.

Mr Owoeye also commended his colleagues in the House for their efforts in considering the budget.

“I sincerely thanked my colleagues for their desire to take the State forward. As far as this state is concerned, we are good to go in the year 2023,” he said.

“The January-December budget cycle is rightly put in place in the state of Osun, our state is the first to do so in the country. I congratulate my colleagues for being dutiful and upright,” he added.

The Speaker urged the governor to assent the budget.

“Anytime from now the Governor can put his signature, thus assenting to the 2023 budget.”

Ademola Adeleke, governor-elect of the state will be sworn-in on Sunday.

PDP reacts

However, Oladele Oluwabamiji, the Director of Media and Publicity of Osun PDP, said when Mr Adeleke resumes office, the budget will be reviewed and amended.

“We want to assume now that they are just performing their constitutional roles as state members of the parliament,” he said.

“In Nigeria and all over the world, passage of the bill is not the end of the road. When a new administration comes on Sunday, we will see where amendments are necessary and we will do it,” Mr Oluwabamiji added.

“For now, we will give it to them. We have told our people to remain calm, everybody should be law-abiding. When we get there, we will look at what they passed. Appropriation is subject to review. Where amendments are necessary, I am sure that will be done.”