The Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday amended the N698.8 billion 2025 appropriation law, reducing it to N489,998 billion.

The assembly on December 24, 2024, passed the 2025 appropriation bill of N698.8 billion.

The budget was N43.4 billion higher than the N655.2 billion presented by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on December 10, 2024.

Speaking on the revised budget, the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, said that the amendment was needed to meet the budget’s performance.

Mr Ogunmolasuyi, who submitted the committee’s report, said that the expected interventions to the state could not come, hence the need for the modifications.

He explained that N240, 733, 359, 363. 45 is for the recurrent expenditure while the balance of N249,265,000,810.03 is for capital expenditure.

“This revised budget is for the purpose of the performance of the state. By the time of passing, it in 2024, we expected some interventions, but it was unfortunate that they were not forth coming. Also, there are some funds in the budget that are not working, and we have to redistribute them,” he said.

The House Leader, Olatunji Oshati, who commended the committee for a job well done, said that the budget was a revised one and not a supplementary as being rumoured.

Mr Oshati, therefore, moved a motion for the fiscal bill to be passed and Stephen Abitogun, Akure South 1-APC, seconded the motion.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, therefore, ratified the unanimous voice votes by lawmakers on the support of the bill to be passed.

The assembly also held a special session in honour of the late Ilesanmi Oguntoyinbo, who served from 1999 to 2003 in the legislative body.

(NAN)