By Adebayo Adedeji
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has taken profligacy to the next level with allocation of a staggering N11.3 billion for subscription fees to professional bodies in the 2025 budget. The allocation for this line in 2024 was N266 million. This massive increase of 4034 %, from N266 million to N11.3 billion, calls to question the commitment of the government to appropriate fund decently and satisfactorily.
To put this into perspective, the federal government has only budgeted N30 million for the same line item in its 2025 budget.
Critics are questioning the rationale behind this obscene expenditure, especially considering that it surpasses the combined allocations for the ministries of agriculture (N7.1 billion) and youth affairs (N2.8 billion).
Professional subscription fees are payable to recognized bodies, such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), on behalf of government employees who are members of these organizations.
The significant jump in allocation has raised concerns among political watchers, who are calling on the people of Osun to rein in the governor’s “maniacal profligacy” at the time citizens are struggling to breathe economically.
