Lawmakers of the crisis-ridden Ondo State House of Assembly [ODSHA], have passed the 2016 Appropriation bill presented by the Governor Olusegun Mimiko to the parliament, into law, and subsequently jacked-up the annual budget amount with N5billion, Saharareporters can authoritatively report.
The bill became law shortly after the dust of the ‘impeachment drama’ that occurred last week Thursday night between some aggrieved lawmakers in the Assembly and Speaker, Jumoke Akindele with Deputy, Fatai Olotu, apparently stage-managed by Governor Mimiko.
Political pundits in the state have described the impeachment saga of the speaker as “acted script” carried out by the governor as his minions to achieve scandalous padding of the budget.
It would be recalled that Mr. Mimiko had presented a budget estimate of N118.99billon tagged “Budget of Hope” for the fiscal year on February 2nd, 2016 to the lawmakers of the State House of Assembly in Akure.
While sitting, the lawmakers increased the budget by N5billion thereby passing N123.99 billion budget into law after the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation submitted its report on the Appropriation Bill recommending it for passage.
Mr. Ade Adeniyi, a lawmaker from Ondo West Constituency I, and staunch supporter of Governor Olusegun Mimiko chairs the Committee in the parliamentary house.
Saharareporters investigations revealed that the Speaker, Jumoke Akindele, appointed Mr. Adeniyi to head the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation on the orders of Governor Mimiko.
Mr. Ifedayo Akinsoyinu, a lawmaker from Ondo West Constituency II, and majority leader of the Assembly moved the motion for the passage of the bill into law and was subsequently seconded by Olamide George, a lawmaker representing Akure North Constituency.
Saharareporters learnt from sources in the parliament that Twenty-one lawmakers who were in attendance during the plenary session of the Assembly unanimously passed the budget bill into law.
The 2016 budget now passed into law by the lawmakers showed that N69, 194, 325, 000 billion would be expended on Recurrent Expenditure instead of N68 billion earlier presented by Governor Mimiko to the house.
A sum of N54, 526, 375, 000 billion had also been passed for Capital Expenditure by the lawmakers against the N50.99 billion initially fixed for the budget by Gov. Mimiko.
Embattled Assembly Speaker, Jumoke Akindele, presided over the house sitting where the 2016 Appropriation bill was passed into law.