TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party Party (PDP) in Ondo has tackled Lucky Aiyedatiwa, governor of the state, over N5 billion earmarked in the 2024 appropriation law for the renovation of daycare centres.

A report had claimed that the amount would also be used for the procurement of toys, baby walkers and beddings.

Emmanuel Igbasan, the commissioner for budget and economic planning in Ondo, had apologised over the allocation and described it as a “regrettable printer’s interpolation error that occurred during the process of preparing the document for publication”.

“This error would have remained almost undetectable were it not for the eagle eye of online media because the Ondo State Budget System is e-based and the correct figures are reflected on the portal,” the commissioner said.

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, Kennedy Peretei, PDP spokesperson in Ondo, said the apology by the commissioner was not enough.

“What is regrettable about a document that went through several layers of screening and vetting before being forwarded to the Ondo State House of Assembly?” the opposition party queried in the statement. 

“At the Assembly, the House Committee on Appropriation invites government officials who take turns to defend the same budget. Is it the case that, nobody spotted these regrettable errors?”

Peretei maintained that the project would have been a conduit to siphon government funds if it was not detected in the budget.

“Therefore, a mere apology is not enough,” he said.

The PDP spokesperson said all government officials connected with the project “must be brought to book”.

“Our party will not fold its hand and watch the APC and Aiyedatiwa fleece our meagre resources just for the political aspiration of one man, no matter how highly placed,” he added.