Seyi Makinde’s criticism of 2018 budget myopic ―Oyo APC

THE Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the criticism of gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Seyi Makinde of the 2018 budget, as myopic.

Makinde had in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr Dotun Oyelade, on Tuesday, asked the residents of Oyo state to brace up for hard times, adding that the budget was not for poor people.

He had also chided what he called “excessive debt profile of the Senator Abiola Ajimobi led administration that had limited the options of good governance such that there is little or nothing left in government coffers to provide vital interventions in crucial areas that affect the lives of the people directly such as health, education and agriculture.”

Makinde had also said that Oyo state had accrued N116 billion debt and had exceeded its gross revenue and consolidated debt/net revenues by about 339.56 percent and 410.86 percent.

The APC’s reaction contained in a statement by its Director, Media, Research and Strategy, Dr Abdulazeez Olatunde, held that Makinde only made spurious claims and failed to justify his position that the budget was specifically targeted at the rich.

The party posited that a key segment of the 2018 budget and the Ajimobi administration since inception had been socioeconomic transfers and welfarist programmes with over 1.1 million beneficiaries.

Emphasising its focus on alleviating poverty, the party’s spokesperson pointed to the Ajumose Foodbank where 612,000 had benefitted aside from 100,396 grassroots women, 6600 orphanages, 3000 windows and 6000 aged.

On the allegation of excessive debt profile, Olatunde said that more than half of the debt stock of the state was committed to addressing arrears of workers emolument, which he said, did not require payment of interest.

He added that all the other components of debt were attributable to the payment of salaries such as Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP), salary bailouts among other funds accessed by almost all states in the country.

“The terms with which the Federal Government gives states loans are liberal because the overriding motive is to bring succour to the workers and people across all states of the federation. It is a known fact that throughout the world, organisations, both public and private use debt and borrowings as a cheaper way of funding their operations, hence, the debt leveraging by states.

“For some time now, Mr Makinde has been ranting in the media to gain publicity and sustain the failed reputation of his party in the mindset of the people. We will like to remind him that his antics of the pull him down syndrome will not sway people’s interest towards him.

“About three weeks ago, we offered Mr Makinde tuition in elementary mathematics but with his recent outburst, we are convinced Mr Makinde needs an additional course in elementary Public Sector Finance, to be offered free of charge by the APC.”

“We will not rest on our oars and no amount of distraction from desperate political failures and failed party founders can make us change our plans and resolutions to make the people of the state benefit immensely from our social welfare packages,” the statement read, in parts.