No More Secrets’ – Adeleke Reveals Reason Behind Public Posting Of Budget Records

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has said that the public posting of his administration’s budgetary performance reflects transparency, accountability, and a clear demonstration that the government has nothing to hide regarding state finances.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The governor’s position was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed.

Rasheed criticized opposition activists for faulting the government over its openly published budget reports, describing their actions as “laziness and lack of initiative.” He stressed that any administration that openly discloses its revenue and expenditure is showing honesty and responsibility to the people.

He further explained that those interested in a detailed breakdown of the published expenditures can access them through the procedures outlined in the Freedom of Information Act.

The statement highlighted that all security-related expenses under Adeleke’s administration are documented in the budgetary performance report and strictly follow due process in line with state finance laws. Unlike the traditional “security vote” system, Adeleke’s government does not operate a secret fund but accounts for every security expenditure.

According to Rasheed, the size of security spending depends on several factors, including inflation, operational needs of security agencies, exchange rates, communal conflicts, and the expansion of state security outfits such as Amotekun. Despite these variables, he noted that the government remains committed to publishing spending patterns to assure transparency.

He added that it is “mischievous, lazy, or ignorant” for critics to misrepresent the government’s openly posted budget reports, insisting that no government with something to hide would make such information public or subscribe to the World Bank–moderated open budget initiative.

“In today’s Nigeria, Governor Adeleke stands out as one of the few governors who manage security funds strictly in line with state finance law and public finance regulations. No amount of misinformation from the Osun APC can erase that fact,” Rasheed stated.