The Governor Ayodele Fayose-led administration in Ekiti State has said that the main focus of its N94.5b 2017 budget is to complete all on-going projects that were designed to take the State to a higher pedestal as well as guarantee the provision of social amenities, infrastructural development, education, agriculture and security of lives and property of people in the State.
Presenting a detailed analysis of the budget in Ado Ekiti, the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Chief Gbenga Olajide explained that the budget tagged ‘Budget of Consolidation and higher Heights’ also placed emphasis on the welfare of the State workforce, stressing that the administration was prepared to boost the morale of its workforce through clearance of backlog of promotion arrears of Public Servants in spite of the current economic recession in the country.
Chief Olajide said that the sum of N4,075,263,220.73 earmarked for the Administrative sector in the budget would also facilitate the construction of perimeter fencing of the State Secretariat and the Civil Service Commission complex, while utility vehicles and office furniture would also be provided to enhance productivity.
Olajide recalled that Governor Ayo Fayose presented a budget proposal of N93,456,399,143.40 made up of N55,028,891,248.80 or 59% as recurrent expenditure and N38,427,507,894.60 or 41% as capital expenditure to the State House of Assembly on 6th of December, 2016, adding that the Governor however signed an Appropriation Bill of N94,456,399,143.40 consisting of N55,028,891,248.80 or 58% as recurrent expenditure and N39,427,507,894.60 or 42% as capital expenditure on 21st December, 2016 after the Assembly had increased the initial proposal by one billion naira to accommodate additional projects that were conceived to be executed during the 2017 fiscal year.
Noting that Ekiti is the first to sign the 2017 budget into law in the entire federation, the Commissioner reiterated the commitment of the Fayose led administration to the improvement and monitoring of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and blocking all leakages of government revenue.
He also assured of a proper monitoring of income an and expenditure of Government for transparency, curtail extra-budgetary spending, boost quality of education, provide qualitative health service delivery and motivate the public service for effective and efficient service delivery as well as guarantee sustainable Agriculture Production with a view to ensuring food security, alleviating poverty, providing employment and encourage private sector participation in ensuring food security.
Chief Olajide enjoined all stakeholders to join hands with the administration in order to optimally achieve the goal of executing all targeted programmes in the fiscal year which he noted would not only move the State to the next level but would be to the benefit of all and sundry.
Packaged by Omotoyosi Jesuleye
