By Chidimma Okwara,
The Ogun State government, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, has come under intense public scrutiny following a review of the state’s third-quarter 2025 budget performance document, which revealed substantial spending on allowances and meals at a time when residents are protesting the deplorable condition of roads across the state.
According to the budget review, the state government spent a staggering N2.3 billion on “refreshments and honorarium” within a nine-month period. This sum was broken down into N1.4 billion spent on honorarium and sitting allowances, with N923 million allocated specifically to refreshments and meals.
This revelation has fueled widespread public dissatisfaction, as many communities in Ogun State continue to grapple with severe infrastructure deficits, particularly in the road network. The poor state of roads in areas like Sango-Ota, Ifo, and Magboro has caused significant hardship, leading to traffic congestion, vehicle damage, and economic stagnation.
READ ALSO
Just days before the report’s publication, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ota Branch, led a peaceful protest to highlight the severe condition of roads in the Ado-Odo Ota area. Protesters, carrying placards, demanded urgent intervention from the state government.
Chief K. K. Ajose, Chairman of the NBA Ota Branch, described the protest as a “clarion call,” arguing that the dilapidated infrastructure endangers lives, cripples business activities, and constitutes a failure to uphold the welfare and security of the people.
The reported expenditure on non-capital items like honorarium and refreshments contrasts sharply with the visible infrastructure challenges, raising questions about the government’s spending priorities. Critics argue that such high spending on allowances could have been channeled into critical road construction and maintenance projects.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has, however, defended the Governor Abiodun-led administration. They recently released a statement alerting the public to what they termed a “sinister plot by disgruntled politicians” to discredit the government. The party argued that the current administration is diligently tackling a huge backlog of abandoned road projects inherited from previous administrations.
The APC claimed that Governor Abiodun’s government has constructed over 1,500 roads and completed landmark projects such as the Atan-Lusada-Agbara road and the Sagamu Interchange-Abeokuta road. They stressed that no government can repair all roads within an eight-year tenure, maintaining that the governor is committed to spreading development across all three senatorial districts.
Despite the government’s defence and pledges of future development, residents remain focused on the accountability of public funds and the immediate impact of the road crisis on their daily lives. The disclosed spending figure is set to intensify the conversation around financial transparency and governance effectiveness in the state.
