Governor Defends self Over N500million Expenditure On Refreshments, Says It Hosted High-Profile Personalities, Events
However, in a statement signed by the state commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the Osun State government blamed hosting top high-profile personalities including top national events for the expenditure.
The Osun State government has defended its expenditure of over N500million on entertainment.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the state spent the sum N527million on refreshment and meals in nine months.
However, in a statement signed by the state commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the Osun State government blamed hosting top high-profile personalities including top national events for the expenditure.
“On a report by an online news medium that Osun state spent over Five Hundred Million Naira on entertainment, we educate the medium that Osun Government in the last one year or so has hosted several high profile national events bordering on beneficial policy meetings, hosting of ministers, Governors and even top state officials from the Presidency.”
“The medium is invited to note that hosting states spend fund on transportation, accommodation and event organisation, all which were conducted under shoestring budget and within the context of hyper inflation plaguing the country.”
“The state benefitted immensely as several developmental projects are attracted into the state while Osun State is gradually assuming the position of event hub of the South West, boosting the agenda of the administration on the cultural, creative and tourism industry,” the statement read.
A SaharaReporters’ review of budget performance documents in Osun State earlier showed that the state spent N527million on refreshment and meals in the first three quarters of the year, that is between January and September of the year.
While N527 million was spent by the state on refreshment and meals, the capital expenditure to the University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, stood at N297 million, that to Osun state hospitals management board stood at N45.6million.
This development would mean that Osun state spent on refreshment and meals more than it earned from direct assessment tax.
The state earned N378million from direct assessment tax, it however spent N527million on refreshment and meals, this would mean that the state spent equivalent all of its earnings from direct assessment tax on refreshment and meals and added extra.
It would also mean that the state spent 5% of its internally generated revenue in the first three quarters of the year on refreshment and meals.
