Date: 2019-10-17

The approved 2019 budget is online at the Kwara State Government website for verification by anybody.

As far as the 2019 Appropriation Law is concerned, there is no illegality or misappropriation in the implementation of the 2019 budget by the present administration.

The Governor, on his part, is cautious and properly guided in the approval and release of funds granted to all the projects, programmes and activities in accordance with the expenditure line items as contained in the approved 2019 budget.

We wish to clearly state that all counterpart funds released so far by the government for its activities are contained in the approved 2019 budget which are domiciled in the capital budget of Ministry of Planning and Economic Development for proper coordination, monitoring and control of the counterpart fund released by the government.

The cited examples of the expenditures can be found as follows:

1. UBEC Fund was sourced from servicewide vote (Ministry of Finance) with code 0220001, subcode 220206, subsubcode 22020606.

2. N100m Basic Healthcare Provision Fund: Code 0521001, subcode 230301, sub-sub code 23030105. It was released on 3 July, 2019 with Reference No: MoH/KW/113/530.

3. N82m Global Fund Support on Malaria and HIV/AIDS: Code 0521001, subcode 230502, sub-subcode 23050234. It was released on 5 July, 2019 with Reference No: MoH/KW/113/116

4. N50m for ANRIN: Code 0238001, subcode 230502, sub-subcode 23050231. Sourced from Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, it was released on 2 August, 2019 with Reference No: MoH/KW/1131/998.

Meanwhile the claim of over-expenditure does not exist in the 2019 Appropriation implementation.

We observe that the writer is bereft of the knowledge of reading the present budget format which is according to the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) adopted by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development since 2014. This is the global best practice.

All the releases were used for the budget intended purpose with routine monitoring from implementing agencies and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. Hence, the claim of misappropriation is unjustifiable and in bad faith.

A.Tayo Oyelowo

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Planning and Economic Development

16 October, 2019