The Edo House of Assembly has advanced Governor Monday Okpebholo’s supplementary spending proposal to committee review, with lawmakers expecting a report within two weeks on allocations that include ₦70 billion for roads and ₦7.5 billion for electricity.
The house completed the bill’s second reading at Tuesday’s plenary before sending it to the Committee on Appropriation and Project Monitoring. The proposed spending remains under legislative consideration.
Okpebholo had requested legislative consideration of the 2026 Supplementary Appropriation Bill. During the debate, Esan West representative Jonathan Ibhamawu supported the proposal and outlined the amounts earmarked for road projects and electricity.
Majority leader Sunday Ojezele explained that the changes would redirect resources from areas where existing funds had seen limited use. Other sectors, he said, required more financing to implement their projects.
His contribution presented the proposed adjustments as a response to differences in funding needs across the budget, with resources moving towards activities requiring additional support.
Egor representative Natasha Osawaru also endorsed the measure. She said the proposed expenditure extended to education and security and would address the needs of residents across Edo’s 18 local government areas.
Maria Edeko, representing Esan North-East II, similarly said the bill responded to the needs of the people. The appropriation committee will now examine the proposal and return its findings to the house within the stipulated period.
In a separate decision, lawmakers passed a bill to establish the Senior Secondary Education Board. The legislation would repeal the Bendel State Post-Primary Education Edict of 1988.
Members examined the education bill’s provisions after sitting as a Committee of the Whole. Following their consideration and approval, Speaker Yekini Idaiye directed that a clean copy go to the governor for assent.
The education measure therefore completed its passage through the house, while the supplementary appropriation proposal moved into further scrutiny by the committee.
Tuesday’s sitting also produced approval for additional special advisers at state and local government levels. Okpebholo sought the authorisation on the grounds that more appointments would strengthen administration at both levels.
Vanguard reported that the approval included 30 additional special advisers for the governor.
Ojezele, who led the debate on the appointments, supported the request. He said the state government required additional assistance to manage its responsibilities effectively.
For the councils, Ovia South-West representative Sunday Aghedo explained that chairmen previously had one special adviser each. The governor’s proposal sought permission for five more advisers in every local government area.
The lawmakers authorised the additional appointments following deliberations on the request. The decision granted approval to expand the advisory positions at both levels of government.
The house adjourned until Wednesday, 14 October.