Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, on Monday, presented a budget proposal of N175.7 billion for 2019 fiscal year to the House of Assembly for approval.
The budget proposal is 9.2 percent higher than that of 2018 budget of N146 billion.
The 2019 budget, tagged: “Budget of socio-economic inclusion,” is made up of N95.8 billion for capital expenditures, and N79.9 billion for recurrent expenditure.
The governor said the budget proposal has a deficit of N27.4 billion, which would be funded through internal and external financial interventions from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) special programmes and World Bank.
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“The budget was planned with $60 benchmark crude oil price and increased state internally generated revenue. The 2019 budget will consolidate on the infrastructure and socio-economic gains of the outgoing 2018,” he said.
Giving the breakdown of the budget, he said N42.7 billion was allocated to infrastructure development, N9.3 billion for health, N26.8 billion for education and N7 billion for investment promotion.
Others are N2 billion for security, N9 billion for payment of pension, while N967 million was allocated to the judiciary, among others.
Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki has charged the new Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Isaac Ehiozuwa, to urgently put to use, his wealth of experience in fast-tracking the ongoing reforms of the state’s civil service, in line with the vision of his administration.
Obaseki gave the charge yesterday, at the Government House, in Benin, the state capital, during the swearing in ceremony of the new HoS.
“We’ve resolved to give world-class training to our civil servants, and you will help reshape the civil service to ensure everybody that works for the state government must be information and communication technology (ICT)-compliant.
“We know you are hardworking and have the capacity to bring the desired reform in the sector,” the governor said.
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He said his administration’s vision is to reform all aspects of the state’s civil and public service for optimal performance.
Obaseki maintained that work has started on the reform of the physical environment with the ongoing revamp of the buildings in the secretariat complex, and charged the new HoS to commence work with the
reform of the people in the service.
“One of the key responsibilities of the new HoS would be to reform the people in the service,” Obaseki said. He urged Ehiozuwa to build on the legacies of his predecessors.
In his remarks, the new HoS thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in him and described his appointment as a call to service
He assured he will live up to the expectation of the state government
and people of the state.
“I will do my duties with diligence, and will put in my best in the interest of the state,” he said.