By Akinwale Kasali
Blessing Agbebaku, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly has given an insight into the reason why the Budget for the Office of the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, was slashed.
The 2024 Appropriation for the Office of the Deputy Governor was slashed to about 345 million Naira while that of the Secretary to State Government, SSG, Head of Service, HoS, and others were higher. The Speaker said not much responsibilities would be given to the Deputy Governor in the new year because of his Governorship ambition.
The Speaker, however, dispelled rumours that there was disenchantment among some members of the House as some of them are alleged to be plotting to make the House not peaceful for him.
According to him, “Unlike the other offices like the SSG, HoS and others, the office of the Governor and the Deputy Governor are the same, it is not only in this year’s budget, even in previous years that is how it has been. On this occasion, the Governor stated clearly that since the Deputy Governor has not performed his functions in the outgoing year because of his aspiration, which he recognized to be a huge one and time-consuming, most of his functions were relocated to other offices as the Governor has the powers to do so.
“All of us know that the Deputy Governor doesn’t have constitutional powers bestowed on him except that which is allocated to him by the governor. So most of those things that the Deputy Governor used to do, the governor has removed from him. He has even gone on media to complain that he is no longer working, if you are not doing work, who will now give you money?
“The money is not allotted to you as a personal gift, it is given for work so if you are not working, naturally the money will not come and there is no way you can be working effectively when you are pushing that ambition.
“We are talking about a year where the most part of it, almost 11 months will be on electioneering so how are you now going to function properly as a deputy governor? In his magnanimity, the governor has said, I don’t want to be a stumbling block on your ambition on your route to becoming governor. So you should have your time to pursue your ambition to fruition. So to that extent, he said okay, I’m not going to give you too much function. So if you’re not giving too much function, then not much money will be given to you.”
On the allegation that the office the Speaker got over 19 billion naira, Agbebaku said there was no allocation to his office but what was there is the allocation to the state house of assembly.
