By Josephine Oguntoyinbo

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The over N16 billion year 2024 budget estimate of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has been committed to the Committee Stage.

The bill appropriated N16,589,793,823.64 out of  which a sum of ₦3,249,906,749. 54 is for recurrent expenditure, and the sum of ₦13,339,889,74.5 is for capital expenditure for the year 2024.

The State House of Assembly committed the bill to the House Committees on OSOPADEC and Finance and Appropriation for proper scrutiny and to report back to the House in two weeks after scaling through the second reading at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Chief Olamide Oladiji.

The Vice Chairman, OSOPADEC, Princess Olawunmi Fayemi-Obayelu, affirmed that the year 2024 budget estimate, when passed into law, would go a long way to improve the living standard of the people of the coastal area.

Princess Fayemi informed that the bill should be critically evaluated and passed with due process as the most challenged are the women, oil spillage on the water thereby making life difficult for the people, stressing that the intervention of OSOPADEC will go a long way in assisting the people.

Other lawmakers averred that there should be accountability and prudency for the mandate areas to get the best.

Also, a bills for a law to amend the Ondo Law Commission 2006 to change the tenure of the members of the commission to part-time has been committed to committee stage after scaling through the second reading.