Ondo government allocates N122.5m each for vehicles to Nass speaker and deputy while budgeting N107m for primary healthcare

A review of budget performance documents reveals that the Ondo State government has allocated N245 million to purchase two Lexus SUVs for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. This allocation means N122.5 million is designated for each vehicle.

This expenditure occurs despite calls for reduced governance costs across Nigeria. In contrast, the state has budgeted only N107 million for the primary healthcare management board’s capital expenditure for 2024, planning to spend more than double that amount on the SUVs.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that 66% of households in Ondo lack sanitary facilities, and 51% lack access to clean drinking water—issues that could be addressed with the funds intended for the vehicles.

Additionally, state workers have protested unpaid salaries over the past year. In May 2024, employees of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital protested overdue salary payments.

For 2024, only N500 million has been allocated for the Amotekun corps capital expenditure, yet nearly half of this amount is earmarked for the SUVs. In the first half of 2024, Ondo State spent N8 billion on debt servicing, underscoring its financial strain and the need for more prudent resource management.