The Peoples Democratic Party in the South West has described the planned presentation of the 2013 Budget of Osun State to the House of Assembly on Tuesday by the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as illegal and an exposure of the falsehood of the Action Congress of Nigeria government in the state.
The PDP sought to know the budget Aregbesola would be presenting to the House of Assembly, adding that the state Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Ajibola Basiru, has earlier claimed that the budget was presented before December 31, 2012 as stipulated by law.
The Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon Kayode Babade, who made this known in a statement on Monday, said the announcement on the state radio that the budget presentation would be done on Tuesday was at variance with the claim of Basiru, who was reported to have said on January 2, 2013: “What is stipulated by law is that the budget must be laid before the House before December 31 and this we have done.
“Reading the budget before the House is ceremonial; it is not compulsory or binding by law.”
The PDP said the constitution was clear on when a governor could present budget proposals to the House of Assembly.
The statement reads: “On January 1, 2013, we alerted the public that Aregbesola was yet to present his 2013 budget proposal to the state House of Assembly as demanded by the constitution.
“Then, Aregbesola’s men rose in his defence, claiming that the budget had been presented to the House and that it was not compulsory that the governor must present the budget personally.
“However, contrary to this claim, the budget is slated to be presented tomorrow and we ask: who is the liar between Aregbesola’s men and us?
“Again, can a Budget presented in flagrant disregard for the constitution be lawful?
“We are therefore waiting for the illegality to be perpetrated tomorrow (today) as planned, after which the next line of action will be taken.”
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