The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu has no work to do in the coming year hence the slashing of budget to his office from N19 billion to N345 million.
The Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, disclosed this saying the deputy governor did not have constitutional functions bestowed on him except those allocated to him by Mr Governor.
Agbebaku said Shaibu would have no official function to perform in 2024, just as he denied that the slashing of the budget was in connection with the feud between Governor Godwin Obaseki and Shaibu.
He said there was no time N13 billion was allocated to his own office, saying it was allocated to the State House of Assembly and not the office of Speaker.
He said, “Allocation was done in a way to reflect the office. However, the governor stated clearly that since the deputy governor had not performed his functions in the outgoing year because of his aspiration, which he recognised to be a huge one and time-consuming, most of his functions were relocated to other offices as the governor has the powers to do so.
“All of us know that the deputy governor doesn’t have constitutional functions bestowed on him except those which are allocated to him by the Governor. So, most of those things he used to do, the governor has taken away from him.
“The deputy governor has even complained that he is no longer working. If you are not working, why allocate money to the office?”
“The money is not allotted to you as a personal gift, it is given for work. So, if you are not working, naturally the money will not come, and there is no way you can be working effectively when you have an ambition of becoming the Governor”.
The 2024 budget signed into law by Governor Obaseki on December 15, N19 billion was appropriated to the office of the Governor, office of the deputy N345 Million, Secretary to the State Government N8bn; the House of Assembly N13 billion while Head of Service got N968 million.
