The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has presented an N98,611, 545, 040.22 billion fiscal estimates for 2018 before the State House of Assembly for consideration. At the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, on Tuesday, Fayose said that the appropriation bill tagged ‘Budget of Accomplishment’ consists of N66,442, 426,169.81 billion, representing 67.9% as recurrent expenditure and N32,169, 118,870.85 billion, representing 32.1% as capital expenditure.
While presenting the budget, Governor Fayose said that budget proposal increased by N5.6 billion, representing a 6% increase compared to that of last which as N93.09 billion, adding that the 2017 budgetary provision had a performance of 60 per cent as of October 2017. The governor, who clad in a flowing Agbada to the State House of Assembly, declared that his appearing in Agbada was a confirmation that “I am going to be the next president of this country. The doubting Thomas may not believe me, but surely I will get there because it is the will of God for me”.
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He said the budget estimates would be financed through Federal Accounts, Internally Generated Revenue, Value Added Tax, Paris Club Refunds and other sundry sources. He said the budget proposal when passed into law, will help to complete the flyover under completion in Ado Ekiti, the Oja Oba market and other landmark projects initiated by his government. Fayose said the 2017 presentation was more of a valedictory session for him because this remains the last budget he will present before the expiration of his tenure on October 15, 2018.
He, however, presented his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola before the lawmakers and the monarchs that are seated, begging that “you must
support him for the governorship in the spirit of continuity and sustainability of the government’s policies”. The governor added that the budget accords high priority to stomach infrastructure, payment of salaries and improve on the state internally generated revenue.
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“We are also committed to a quality education because Ekiti came first in 2016 and 2017 in NECO and we have to sustain this. That is why I want to give Ekiti a man they can trust like me, a man that can be prudent in spending and sustain good taste because my Deputy himself is a Professor of Building Technology. “Let me assure you, the Oja Oba will be commissioned by July, which is just a few days before the election and the flyover will be delivered by
May, all in 2018. “We are going to block leakages and ensure that salaries are paid. Just like I have said, I am not going to leave Ekiti and still be indebted to workers, that I can assure Ekiti people”, he said.
The Speaker assured that the appropriation bill will be given expeditious passage so that the state can kick-start its projects as early as possible next year. Oluwawole said: “The country has learnt a lesson from the ongoing recession that it is wrong to put one’s eggs in one basket. The economy is dependent solely on oil at the expense of solid minerals and agriculture. “We know the resources of this state is limited but the lawmakers will not shy away from its oversight functions. We will support the governor to ensure prudent management of the lean resources available”
RAPHAEL ADEYANJU, Ado Ekiti
