Politics

Adeleke spends N2bn on meals, welfare as gov’s office gulps N6bn in 3 months

The Osun State Third Quarter 2023 budget performance report has revealed that the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, spent N6 billion to run his office in three months.

The report prepared by the Osun State Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development disclosed that the state government spent over N2 billion on refreshments/meals and welfare packages for its officials.

It revealed that N1.75 billion was spent on welfare packages while N456,401,074.13 was used for refreshments and meals.

It further stated that the state government spent N400 million on publicity and advertisements.

The report and published on the state government’s website also indicated that N209 million was spent on personal expenditure in the governor’s office.

It captured the statements of income and expenditure for the period between July and September 2023.

The report, which failed to disclose the revenue the state generated within the period under review, disclosed that the Osun State House of Assembly spent over N800 million within the period.

Speaking on the development, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the governor’s office has seven agencies and departments alongside many government-wide operations and activities.

Alimi, in a statement on Tuesday, said the allocation to the office of Governor Adeleke caters to the capital, recurrent, and overhead costs of all agencies, departments, and units operating under it with several government-wide responsibilities.

The commissioner stated: “Government expenditure across the various departments includes refurbishment of vandalised government quarters, procurement of official vehicles, replacement of vehicles carted away by the previous government, refurbishment of offices of agencies that make up the Office of the Governor which were left in terrible states by the previous administration; provision of funds for the execution of Imole medical outreach series; provision of funds for emergencies in the welfare of the citizens as individuals and groups.

“The N6.01 billion referred to in the publication therefore encompasses the entire expenditures (Personnel, Overhead and Capital) of the Office of the Governor including the agencies and parastatals under it, for the period in question.

“The statement posited further that the personnel cost which was a sum of N209 million was for the 771 staff of twelve Bureau and Offices under the Office of the Governor while the overhead which was a sum of N4 billion represented the amount spent on acquisition/replacement of vehicles and financing of Imole Medical outreach.

“The 1.7 billion on Capital represents the amount spent on the refurbishment of quarters and government offices.

“In the same vein, the N800 million referred to in the publication represents the entire expenditure of the State House of Assembly for the period.”

The Star