The Osun State House of Assembly has commenced the defence of the 2026 fiscal year appropriation budgets of the 30 local government councils in the state.
The exercise follows after about 11 months of disruption to administrative activities at the local government level, during which the Local Government Service Commission and council authorities were unable to fully operate.
Declaring the exercise open, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Olumide Fatunmise, urged local government authorities to ensure transparency, accountability and clarity in the implementation of their 2026 budgets.
Hon. Fatunmise also congratulated the local government councils on the Supreme Court ruling which affirmed that the Federal Government, has no constitutional right to withhold funds meant for local governments.
Local governments that appeared before the committee on the first day of the exercise include Ede South, Olorunda and Ife South Local Government Councils, among others.
The budget defence exercise continues on Tuesday, with more local government councils expected to present and defend their 2026 fiscal estimates before the Assembly.
