By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Oyo state government and the 33 local government areas across the state are set to spend a total sum of N4,278,000,000 to execute the upcoming chairmanship and councillorship elections scheduled to hold on December 29 this year.
This financial commitment was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, who disclosed that the State Executive Council approved the payment of counterpart funding to the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to enable the body kick-start full preparations for the grassroots polls.
Under the approved joint financing framework, the local government councils will bear the larger share of the election bills, footing 60 per cent of the total cost, while the state government provides the remaining 40 per cent balance.
Breaking down the expenditure, Oyelade revealed that the sum of N2,566,800,000 will be paid by the LGAs, while the state will foot the balance of N1,711,200,000 to ensure a seamless electoral exercise across all 33 council areas.
He said, “The state government has confirmed that chairmanship and councillorship elections into the 33 local government councils in Oyo State will hold on December 29 this year.
“The Executive Council, during its sitting, approved the payment of its counterpart funding to the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to begin preparations for the polls.
“The elections, which will be co-funded by the state and the local government councils, will be financed at a ratio of 60 per cent by the LGAs and 40 per cent by the state.
“The sum of N2,566,800,000 will be paid by the LGAs, while the state will foot the balance of N1,711,200,000.
“The Council also approved the release of N437,446,398.58 for the accreditation needs of the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University Nursing Programme.”
According to the Council, this funding will assist the university’s diversification drive from being solely a science and technology-oriented institution.
“It will also enable the university to become self-sustaining. The University is currently in the final accreditation process and failure to meet the Nursing professional Accreditation deadline will put the huge investment on the University at risk.”, he added.
Prince Oyelade said that the Seyi Makinde administration has already spent over N3billion on the acquisition of equipment for the Programme take-off.
According to the Commissioner, the Council also approved the payment of the counterpart funding for the construction, renovation and equipping of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Oyo Annex.
The Council observed that since about 70 per cent of patients accessing services at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, are from Oyo and its environs, the government is ready to pay its own 50 per cent counterpart funding, amounting to N6,744,379,570.28, while Oyo East LGA will pay the other half of a similar amount.
“The total sum is N13,488,759,140.56.
“The Council praised Governor Seyi Makinde’s consistent exemplary performance and his efforts towards the development of the state, notwithstanding the short period left until May next year. The Council singled him out for his strategic cooperation with the 33 local government councils in the state”, the statement reads.
