The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has given reasons why the allocation to the Office of the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, in the 2024 appropriation was slashed.
Meganews recalls that the 2024 appropriation bill contained about N345 million for the Deputy Governor’s Office.
It has been signed into law by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Agbebaku, who offered the explanation on Friday, also denied that his office was allocated N19 billion in the budget.
He said that since fewer responsibilities were given to Shaibu because of his ambition to contest the 2024 governorship election in the state, there was the need to slash the budget to his office.
He said: “Unlike the other offices like the Secretary to the State Government, Head of Service 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 recognised 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 the deputy governor used to do, the governor has removed from him.
“He has even gone on the 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 to your ambition on your route to becoming a governor.
“So, you should have the 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 given too much function, then not much money will be given to you.”
