The approval last week by the Oyo State House of Assembly the sum of N63 billion by Governor Seyi Makinde to renovate the states government house to say the least is scandalous.
It is because for a state Governor that has criticised the federal government over its various ‘anti people’ policies to turn around and adopt same attitude to his state just two years to the end of his tenure is not only mind boggling but contemptuous of the people he claimed to love so much.
While it is incontestable that a house like other physical structures are constantly subject to renovation and remodelling over time, yet such could not have been more than the cost of building a new government house.
Only early this year, Governor Makinde announced rather with glee the state’s budget which stood at a princely N684,149,098,399 made up of N344,957,004,872 capital Expenditure and a recurrent Expenditure of N339,192,393,526.86 while a sum of N145,354,783,399 which represents 21.44% percent of the state’s total budget was allocated for Education.
As things stand today, the sum of N63bn budgeted for the renovation of the Government house represents 20% of the state’s total Capital vote and 10% of the overall budgetary proposals earlier presented and approved by the state government.
The N63bn is also more than 40% of the states allocation for education – both recurrent and capital.
These figures portray and reflect the priority of the government between spending money to educate the hundreds of thousands of pupils in primary school and students in the secondary and tertiary institutions.
It is quite scandalous that such amount is to be spent in renovating government house meant for a privileged few in an era when the country is crying for more funding for education supposedly, the future of the state.
The question now is why is the explanation to the state house of Assembly coming up during a special session and not addressed in the initial budget approved early in the year?
Does it mean that the N63bn vote was not captured or reflected in the earlier budget?
If this is so, does it mean that the state has become so buoyant that a supplementary budget is needed to be able to spend excess money that has probably accrued to the state between the period when the 2025 budget was passed and now?
If the above is true, does it mean that it’s internally generated revenue has also exceeded its figure of N65b in 2024 to a new height in the first half of this year such that it has exceeded its target and hence has to spend the extra money to renovate a government house in preparation for the 50th anniversary of its creation.
If it is not as a result of increased IGR, is it as a result of the increase in the monthly federal account allocation (FAAC) of the federation due to the state?
If the last is true, then the financial situation of the country is not as parlous as Governor Makinde wants us to belief when he said recently his party the PDP will send the incumbent APC packing in 2027 because of its anti -people policies.
Since the state is a direct beneficiary of increased revenue of federal government brought about by removal of fuel subsidy and opening up of the country for business, is there any justification for criticism by the government of Oyo State which is a beneficiary.
Oyo State, it will be recalled was excised from the former Western State by the state creation exercise of the Murtala-Obasanjo military government in 1976.
If however, the reason for the Governor’s explanation at the house is contrary to increased revenue, does it mean the house was oblivious of the provision in the budget it approved until the provision got to the media few weeks ago.?
If this is so, does it mean that the House Finance and Appropriation Committee failed to do its due diligence for which it was elected before passing the budget into law early this year?
Another issue raised by Governor Makinde is the provision of N131,753,530 million to hire professionals to maintain the Green areas of the fifty year old Government House premises.
Explaining the reasons for the huge amount of renovation, he attributed it to fluctuating exchange rate which affected the cost.
This is coming at a time when he claimed the state’s foreign debt has risen from N30 billion it was six years ago when he took over to N300 billion.
It is doubtful whether both the Governor and the house could convince itself of the rationale behind the huge amount at a time when cost of living of the citizenry has jumped to the roof top.
How could he rationalise renovating the government house with such huge amount two years to the end of his eight year tenure?
Conservatively put, the N63b renovation cost can build 63 standard six-lane roads in different parts of the state and the accompanying multiplier effect on commuting and living in the Metropolitan state.
Also questions should be asked what point the Governor is trying to prove by his eagerness to renovate such for his successor under two years to the end of his tenure.
There is no doubt that Governor Makinde who seems to enjoy relative popularity in the state has by this house renovation project revealed hidden issues not known to his accolades and supporters in the last six years of his tenure.
Popularity is better measured and assessed by display of integrity in public administration for it is in such that public trust can be sustained.
There is no doubt that the Government House project is a contentious issue which will definitely place the administration in public focus and scrutiny as we move to the end of his administration.
