N676 billion has been approved by the Edo State House of Assembly to fund state government spending in the 2025 fiscal year.
The development coincides with the debate over the assembly’s decision to suspend elected local government officials.
At a plenary session on Monday, the House approved the budget, adding N72 billion to the N605 billion initial request made by Governor Monday Okpebholo on December 10, 2024. After the House’s Standing Committee on Appropriation, Budget, and Project Monitoring presented its reports, the budget was approved and passed.
The committee’s head, Sunday Fada, clarified that the governor needed the boost in funding in order to carry out his five-point plan.
Fada, who represents the Esan Central constituency, revealed that the committee accepted and passed the number for recurrent spending, which now stands at N225 billion, up from the N223 billion suggested by the governor.
Additionally, the capital expenditure was increased from N381 billion to N451 billion. After carefully reviewing the budget estimates, the House Committee on Supply approved a raise from the original N605 billion to N676 billion. On December 10, Governor Okpebholo gave the State House of Assembly the 2025 budget estimates, titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” for review. The suspension of local government chairmen and their deputies has drawn public attention to the governor and the state assembly.
The controversy began when Governor Okpebholo issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding that council chairmen submit their financial statements directly to him. However, the chairmen deemed the order an overreach into their financial autonomy, as defined by the Supreme Court.
Following their refusal, the governor petitioned the state assembly to suspend the chairmen, citing “gross misconduct” under Section 10(1) of the Edo State Local Government Law (2000).
