The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in Ondo, Emmanuel Duyilemi Igbasan, confirmed that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu's leadership has significantly reduced the state's debt from an inherited N220bn to N92bn.
Igbasan emphasized that the actual conceptual debt is now less than N10bn, attributing this achievement to citizen involvement in the budgeting process since 2017, which facilitated international collaborations.
Speaking during a session with the correspondents' chapel in Akure, Igbasan stated that the cleared debts included N35bn of salary arrears and accumulated pensioners' debt. He explained, "All the paid salary arrears were part of the debt. The cumulative debt of pensioners was N35bn when we took over. Even if we deploy the state's resources, we cannot fully offset this. Therefore, we decided to allocate N200 million annually to address the pensioners' debt."
Igbasan further discussed the allocation of N300 million for palliatives and clarified that all leave bonuses were paid except for Levels 9 to 15 in 2019. He added, "Considering all the work done, I doubt our conceptual debt exceeds N10bn."
Regarding the recently launched 30-year development plan, Igbasan shared that it aims to address the state's needs by 2054 through a comprehensive assessment of its assets, potential, and capabilities.
Touching on the Ayetoro Sea incursion issue, Igbasan acknowledged Governor Akeredolu's concern and stressed the importance of understanding the root causes before implementing solutions. He said, "Ayetoro presents a challenging situation. Before proposing solutions, we need to thoroughly investigate the underlying issues rather than merely addressing symptoms." He discussed various factors, such as the proximity of Ondo state to Lagos and potential consequences of altering the natural flow of seawater.
In addition, he mentioned the possibility that the sand used to create a city miles away from the sea might have originated from Ondo state. He also pointed out the role of sea-breakers and past predictions regarding such incidents.
