The Ondo State House of Assembly says the revised 2026 budget of N769.384 billion will address critical areas of development, including infrastructure, education and the welfare of civil servants.

Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, stated this on Thursday at a public hearing on the bill seeking to amend the 2026 Appropriation Law in Akure.

Mr Ogunmolasuyi said the review of the budget became necessary following changes in the state’s economic circumstances and the emergence of new developmental priorities since the original N524.411 billion budget was passed in 2025.

He noted that the revised appropriation would enable the government to respond to ongoing infrastructure development across the state’s 18 local government areas, while also accommodating emerging needs in key sectors.

He stated, “When we passed the 2026 budget in 2025, we used the circumstances at that particular time to formulate the figures we arrived at.

“But after a couple of months, there have been a lot of changes, and everyone has been witnessing serious infrastructure and other developments across the state and the 18 local government areas.”

Mr Ogunmolasuyi said education was one of the major areas requiring adjustments in the revised budget, particularly with the planned transition of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, to a university.

“I am fully aware now that Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, the state-owned polytechnic, is migrating to a university. With this, a lot needs to be amended in the budget,” he stated.

Mr Ogunmolasuyi added that other government agencies had also identified areas requiring additional funding to improve their operations and deliver effectively on their mandates.

He assured civil servants that the assembly would support provisions aimed at addressing their needs and improving their standard of living.

He, however, urged government officials and budget officers to ensure that their submissions were realistic, stressing that budgetary allocations should reflect the government’s capacity to achieve measurable implementation.

“Our budget needs to perform because if we put a huge amount of money into the budget and the budget performance is very low, it will not look good on us,” he said.

The chairman assured stakeholders that the 26-member assembly would scrutinise the revised budget with the development needs of the state in mind.

He urged stakeholders to cooperate with the legislature throughout the consideration process.

Mr Ogunmolasuyi said that the ultimate objective was to ensure that public resources were effectively deployed for the benefit of the people.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on September 9, presented the revised 2026 Appropriation Bill of N769.384 billion to the Assembly, raising the state’s original budget of N524.411 billion by N244.973 billion.

Speaking, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Ayorinde Olawoye, expressed optimism that the amended budget, if sailed through, would provide additional impetus for completion of various road projects in the state.

In his remarks, the Rector of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO), Olorunwa Lawson, applauded the state government for supporting the polytechnic in clearing its workers’ 14-month salaries. 

(NAN)