- Governor Obaseki seeks an upward adjustment of the budget allocation for the Deputy Governor’s Office in Edo State
- The Assembly, previously reducing the budget, will reconsider the allocation following the appointment of a new deputy governor
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has submitted a revised 2024 budget proposal for the Deputy Governor’s Office to the state House of Assembly, seeking an upward adjustment.
This move follows the Assembly’s decision five months ago to reduce the budget allocation for the deputy governor’s office from N1.3 billion to N354.5 million during the standoff between Governor Obaseki and his former deputy, Philip Shuaibu, who was impeached last month.
With Marvelous Godwins Omobayo appointed as the new deputy governor after Shuaibu’s exit, Obaseki, in a letter dated May 16 and addressed to Speaker Blessing Agbebaku, requested the Assembly reconsider the budget, restoring it to the initial N1.3 billion.
The letter, signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, was presented during yesterday’s plenary session.
Following reading the letter, the speaker instructed the House Clerk to summon the Commissioner for Finance, the Director for Budget, and the State Accountant-General for a meeting on May 21 to discuss the budget adjustments.
During the initial budget passage, the Speaker defended the reduction, citing the expectation that the impeached deputy governor, who was due to contest the gubernatorial election, would have limited responsibilities in 2024.
“The Deputy Governor himself complained of reduced workload. If you’re not actively engaged, why allocate funds? Funding is for productivity. If there’s no activity, naturally, there’s no financial support. It’s unrealistic to expect effective work when pursuing a governorship ambition,” he previously stated.