Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former gubernatorial aspirant, has sharply criticized Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, for persistently running multiple budgets since taking office in 2019 – a practice he says undermines fiscal discipline and invites corruption.
Reacting to the recently approved N299.8 billion supplementary budget passed by the State House of Assembly, Alao in a press release from his media office stated that this repeated supplementation inflates budgetary figures beyond reason and complicates transparent management of public funds.
“Since Governor Makinde assumed office in May 2019, his administration has routinely requested and secured supplementary budgets alongside the annual approved budgets,” Alao said.
“For instance, the original 2025 budget recently signed into law stands at approximately N684 billion, with significant allocations focused on infrastructure (about N152 billion, 22.5%), education (about N145 billion, 21.4%), and economic stabilization.”
He added that supplementary budgets over the years have increased overall spending ceilings to nearly N984 billion – nearly 45% above the initial budget.
Alao emphasized that such sharp increases raise serious concerns about fiscal prudence from Makinde’s government.
“The pattern of allocating additional funds to sectors such as education and health, which already have dedicated lines in the main budget, further complicates financial management. This duplication not only confuses budget tracking but weakens fiscal discipline,” he noted.
He further stated that data from recent reports reveal that budget implementation remains suboptimal.
“For example, the 2024 budget had only about 65% implementation as of the third quarter, with hopes to reach 70-80% in 2025. The first quarter of 2025 saw just 21.9% realization of recurrent revenue and roughly 11.4% actual capital expenditure, signalling delays or inefficiencies in translating budget provisions into tangible outcomes.”
“This ongoing practice of running multiple budgets hampers effective monitoring, complicates fund tracking, and raises the risks of corruption and mismanagement.”
Alao, who has always criticized the Governor’s misplaced priorities, highlighted that these fiscal issues are compounded by wasteful spending.
He pointed out that the United States Embassy in Nigeria condemned Governor Seyi Makinde’s extravagance, particularly regarding the lavish renovation of the Government House, underscoring broader concerns over fiscal discipline in the state.
“This development raises uncomfortable questions about resource prioritization and governance in the state.”
He urged the government to return to a single, realistic annual budget to protect public funds, restore transparency, and deliver improved socio-economic outcomes for the people of Oyo State.