JDPC laments N60bn agric budget deficit in Ondo

The Justice, Development and Peace Centre (JDPC), Ondo State chapter, has decried the low budgets to the agricultural sector in the state.

JDPC chairman, Public Finance in Agriculture for Budget Committee (PFA), Chief Pius Akomolafe, disclosed this at a press briefing on the 2019 agric budget in Akure, pegged at N9,838,371,924.62.

Akomolafe lamented some inadequacies in the 2018 budget, ranged from misappropriation and non-release of funds for the programme implementation in 2018 fiscal year despite policy commitment to the sector. 

He identified some inappropriate and unclear items in the 2019 agriculture budget like the purchase of a Sony radio, standing fan, DVC player and 36 inches LCD television for one million naira.

Similarly, he decried the inclusion of a budget item with code (01010000400207), the commissioning of Agip Oil-donated hatchery at Okitipupa, among other unclear items, with N2, 000,000.

“This item (01010000420214) was included in 2018 budget and N500, 000 was released. In addition, the offices in need of these facilities are not stated. This amount is high for commissioning of a project,” he said.

Akomolafe urged the state government to increase fund allocations to the sector to ensure efficient and effective project delivery.