••• Urges workers to put Ondo First
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has assured that the 2026 Budget of the state will be implemented strictly in line with approved provisions, warning that accountability, transparency and performance will guide the execution of government programmes in the New Year.
The governor gave the assurance on Monday at the First Working Day Prayer Meeting for 2026 held at the Governor’s Office Car Park, Akure, where he charged public servants and political office holders to prioritise the interest of Ondo State and ensure timely delivery of budgeted projects.
Aiyedatiwa said the success of the 2026 Budget depended largely on the commitment of ministries, departments and agencies to targets and timelines, stressing that government would not tolerate waste, delays or deviation from approved budgetary plans.
According to him, the budget was designed to consolidate ongoing infrastructure projects while accelerating development across critical sectors such as education, healthcare, security, economic growth and workers’ welfare, all anchored on the administration’s “OUR EASE” agenda.
He disclosed that the 2026 Budget made increased provisions for education, including further construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, following the completion of 280 classrooms across primary, secondary and technical schools in the previous year.
On healthcare, the governor said funds were allocated to complete and operationalise 112 health centres initiated in 2025, alongside the expansion of the state’s solar street-lighting programme to all local government areas.
Aiyedatiwa said the budget also prioritised economic revitalisation, with provisions for the reactivation of moribund industries such as the Ifon Ceramic Industry and the Okitipupa Oil Mill, while supporting new industrial projects along the Ore axis and the Ondo South–Ogun–Lagos economic corridor.
He further disclosed that budgetary support was provided for ongoing engagements on the Ondo Deep Sea Port, including partnerships for a refinery and allied petrochemical industries within the Free Trade Zone.
On security, the governor said the 2026 Budget contained allocations to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, logistics and intelligence, including the recruitment of 500 additional personnel into the Amotekun Corps and the procurement of equipment to enhance response capacity.
Reaffirming his commitment to workers’ welfare, Aiyedatiwa said the budget sustained provisions for prompt payment of salaries, regular promotions, gradual recruitment and the continued settlement of inherited gratuities and pension liabilities.
He urged citizens to support the budget implementation process by fulfilling their civic obligations, noting that collective responsibility was required to achieve the goals set out in the 2026 fiscal plan.
In his remarks, the Head of Service, Mr Bayo Philip, said the public service was prepared to drive the effective implementation of the 2026 Budget, noting that the administration had earned credibility through prompt salary payments, improved labour relations, steady recruitment and measures to stabilise pension and gratuity backlogs.
Philip urged workers to justify government’s investments by upholding discipline, diligence and ethical conduct, describing public servants as stewards of public resources.
The Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Most Rev Dr Jude Ayodeji Arogundade, in his exhortation, called for integrity and sacrifice in public finance management, urging leaders to ensure that budgetary resources translated into tangible benefits for citizens.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Ondo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ademola Olapade, commended the governor for implementing the minimum wage and approving promotions, assuring that organised labour would support policies aimed at effective budget execution.
Christian and Muslim clerics later offered prayers for the successful implementation of the 2026 Budget, the state workforce and the continued progress of Ondo State.
