The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to prove his innocence by sanctioning those who prepared the document that appropriated N5bn for daycare center renovation.
The PDP stated this in a statement on Wednesday through Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, its Publicity Secretary.
Sahara Reporters had reported that the government of Aiyedatiwa intends to spend a whooping sum of N5 billion to renovate daycare centres in the State as captured in the 2024 appropriation law.
The allegation had since been refuted by the Ondo State government, through the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Emmanuel Igbasan, who blamed it on a printing error.
But the PDP insisted that the explanation given by the government is not convincing enough.
The PDP statement alleges;
“The amount was to buy babycot walkers, toys and beddings. Another N18 billion loan was to be sourced from French Development Agency for provision of water in Akure and environs.
“In an attempt to put wool over the eyes of the people, the Ondo State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget in a statement, claimed that the N5 billion was actually “meant to reflect the expected drawdown from the Nigerian For Women Project (World Bank supported)….This is a regrettable printer’s interpolation error that occurred during the process of preparing the document for publication” and that corrective action is underway.
“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? At the Assembly, the House Committee on Appropriation invites government officials who take turns to defend same budget. Is it the case that, nobody spotted these regrettable errors?
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State Chapter wishes to state unequivocally that, it was the plan of the Aiyedatiwa government to swindle the people through the daycare renovation project that was thwarted by the eagle-eyed media.
“Therefore, a mere apology is not enough. All those connected with this fraud must be brought to book. The Governor, as a matter of urgency must clear himself to dispel the allegations that, he is desperate to mop up funds from the Ondo State Treasury for the purposes bankrolling his election come November 16.
“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,” the statement concluded.
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