…Commits to committee stage

By Josephine Oguntoyinbo

A total of thirty-three billion, eight hundred and sixty million naira (₦33,860,000,000.00) has been presented to the Ondo State House of Assembly as the 2025 budget estimate of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) and has been committed to the committee stage for further consideration.

The budget proposal allocates four billion, seven hundred and forty-seven million, six hundred and fifty thousand naira (₦4,747,650,000.00) for recurrent expenditure, while the remaining twenty-nine billion, one hundred and twelve million, five hundred thousand naira (₦29,112,500,000.00) is earmarked for capital expenditure.

The House committed the bill to its Ad-hoc Committee on OSOPADEC for in-depth scrutiny, after it scaled second reading at a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Chief Olamide Oladiji.

Contributing to the debate, the lawmaker representing Ese-Odo Constituency, Oluwatoyin Allen, said the 2025 budget estimate, when passed into law, would significantly improve the living conditions of residents in the coastal communities.

Allen emphasised that the bill must be meticulously examined and passed through due legislative processes, with a particular focus on infrastructural development, noting that OSOPADEC’s interventions would be of immense benefit to the people.

Also speaking, the lawmaker representing Irele Constituency, Dr Christopher Ogunlana, observed that the budget, this time around, captured all the local governments within the mandate areas.

On her part, Princess Olawunmi Fayemi-Obayelu, representing Ilaje II, said the budget, when enacted, would undoubtedly bring the much-needed development to the mandate areas, urging for its speedy passage.

Other lawmakers stressed the need for transparency and prudence to ensure that the people in the mandate areas derive maximum benefit from the budget.

Meanwhile, a bill seeking to amend the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo, Ondo State Law, 2019, has scaled first reading.