2018 budget: We won’t be blackmailed, intimidated – Ondo Govt

In a swift response aimed at avoiding misrepresentation by the public, the Ondo State Government, yesterday, called out some lawmakers in the state over their opposition to the reordered budget passed into law by the State House of Assembly, describing the position of the parliamentarians as misleading, unpatriotic and a declaration of war against truth and reality.

In a statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi said the Akeredolu led administration has only done what the current State lawmakers had approved for the immediate past administration in the state.

He, however, alleged that the change of tune on the part of some of the lawmakers was to blackmail the state government for not supporting a failed attempt to impeach the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bamidele Oleyeloogun.

The statement reads: “The attention of the State Government has been drawn to a press statement by Honourable Olugbenga Araoyinbo which condemned the 2018 Ondo State Reordered budget, described it as “unconstitutional” and claimed that it was the cause of the failed attempt to remove the current Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon. David Bamidele Oloyeloogun and his deputy, Iroju Ogundeji.

“According to a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Yemi OlowoBaleful and vengeful, the statement speaks volumes of orchestrated mischiefs and calculated malfeasance all in the name of filthy politics.
“I wish to put on record that it is not unusual for budget to be reordered.

His was done here in Ondo State by previous administrations and it is being done in other states in the Country.

 Even the Federal Government, recently, had to reorder the 2018 budget in line with some prevailing fiscal realities
“What we have done now and always is in tandem with our avowed commitment to the welfare of people of Ondo State. No amount of denigrations and aspersions will halt the wheel of progress our state is currently experiencing under the leadership of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, as the Governor of Ondo State.

“The current reordering budget excercise among other reasons had to be done in anticipation of the release of recent Paris club refund, which is to be used to pay arrears of workers salaries and pensions of retirees in the terms agreed with labour leaders.

“The bill was passed to the house a couple of weeks after the Federal Government made public the various amounts due to each State as Paris Club refund.

“Surprisingly, it was left unattended to by the House, even before the recent failed attempt to effect a leadership change in the Assembly.

“Araoyinbo’s statement clearly advertises crass legislative ignorance and a morbid desire to mislead the public.
“Notwithstanding the heist and hate campaigns, the truth is that the budget size remains unchanged and any enlightened person knows that budget re ordering is a fiscal instrument used for re-allocating funds from non-performing heads to more active heads without increasing the budget size.

“From the foregoing, it is clear that the state government hasn’t done anything illegal.

 Rather, we have continued to hoist the flag of transparency in governance while pursuing our top agenda to transform Ondo State.”