Infrastructure development and education got a big chunk of allocation as Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola on Thursday presented his 2019 fiscal plan to the Osun State House of Assembly.
The overall N152.7 billion ‘Budget of Hope’ is lower than the N179.2 billion budgeted for the outgoing year. The governor said he would build on the giant strides of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Oyetola also prioritised agriculture, healthcare and provision of water in the rural area.
The governor told lawmakers to the admiration of those present that “the era of payment of modulated salaries and allowances and other benefits has become a thing of the past.” He added: “Workers and pensioners are now collecting their full salaries.”
The state is expecting an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N36 billion at “a minimum N3 billion monthly” out of the projected total revenue of N150 billion. The rest will come from other sources including the Federation Account, grants, aids, investment and others.
The fiscal plan is heavy on the side of capital projects, which got N91.5billion –65 per cent of estimated expenditure. Education was allocated N10.4 billion or 11.36 percent of the planned spending.
On the sector, Oyetola said: “We shall review the school curriculum to achieve value reorientation and to create a sense of worth belonging in our youths. Consequently, History shall be re-introduced in our secondary schools while Civic Education shall be expanded to incorporate the Omoluabi ethos.
“Focused-attention shall also be given to technical and vocational education to inculcate relevant skills for the youth to make them job creators rather than job seekers.
“Our Administration remains irrevocably committed to the joint ownership and co-funding of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and the College of Health Sciences, Osogbo with the Oyo State government.”
On healthcare, emphasis will be on Health insurance “to provide effective, quality and affordable services to all and sundry.”
The Health Insurance is a contributory scheme in which the government will pay 3 percent while the worker will contribute 1.5 percent.
There is also a plan to revitalise and equip 332 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres – one in each ward – and 57 secondary health care centres across the three senatorial districts.
The Ede Headworks water scheme is to be rehabilitated to enhance supply of portable water to at least 12 local government areas.
The Ilesa water project, whose work restarted with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari, is to get full attention.
