By Precious Oluwole

The Ondo State House of Assembly has committed the N487,437B 2024 supplementary budget proposal to Committee stage after scaling through the second reading.

Would recalled that the 2024 budget passed by the State House of Assembly and ascented to by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was over 395 billion naira.

The budget was increased in the supplementary by over 92 billion naira.

Out of the over 487 billion naira, over 246 billion naira is for recurrent expenditure while the sum of over 241 billion naira is for capital expenditure.

The plenary was presided over by the Speaker, Chief Olamide Oladiji.

It was committed to the Committee on Finance and appropriation after the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowumi Isaac had appeared before the house during it parliamentary meeting to shed more light on grey areas of the law.

The Clerk of the House, Mr Jaiyeola Benjamin had earlier read the letter from the State Government which explained the need for the amendment of the law.

The Majority Leader, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi moved a motion for the law to be moved to second reading and was seconded by a Lawmaker representing Ose constituency, Chief Olatunji Oshati

The bill then took the centre stage for debate by the legislators where the Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi said considering the present economics realities occasioned by the subsidy removal in fuel, which has affected all areas of the economy, there is the need for the bill to be amended to address many things, including the payment of the 73 thousand naira new minimum wage to workers in the State.

Other Lawmakers said without the amendment, there will be no way Government will be able to render effective service to the people and especially make the civil servants who are engine rooms of governance smiles.

The Speaker, Chief Olamide Oladiji equally affirmed that the bill is very important for the State because of the current economic indices and without it, implementation of minimum wage will not be realistic.

He therefore ordered the bill to be passed to the Finance and Appropriation Committee for proper and thorough screening and be submitted to the house.