From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ogun Governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, assented to the state’s 2021 appropriation bill of N338. 6billion.
The bill tagged “Budget of Recovery and Sustainability”, comprised a recurrent expenditure of N162 billion, which represented 48 per cent of the total budget and capital expenditure of N177 billion, representing 52 per cent of the budget.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, said while passing the budget, the House of Assembly, slightly adjusted the recurrent and capital expenditures estimates.
The adjustments affected 74 agencies, including the capital receipt, following the recommendations of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation led by Kunle Sobunkanla.
The 2021 appropriation bill was read and adopted clause-by-clause before members by Speaker Olakunle Oluomo during plenary. The House thereafter passed a sum of N146.529billion as earmarked for recurrent expenditure, N20.182billion for Consolidated Revenue Fund Charges (CRFC), while N171.898billionwas allocated for capital expenditure.
A breakdown of allocations in the budget as presented to the House include infrastructure, N61 billion; social welfare and well-being, N93 billion,includes health, housing, environment, physical planning, women affairs, etc; education, N58 billion; youth empowerment, N6 billion; agriculture, N15 billion and enablers N106 billion, among others.
Signing the budget, Abiodun assured that the state would strive to recover from the challenges engendered by COVID-19 pandemic and forge ahead in critical sectors of the economy.
The governor commended the House for the speedy passage of the bill.
He said signing the budget before December would avail the government the opportunity to further plan towards its implementation from January, 2021.
He said the state would remain focused in the implementation of the budget for the benefit of the people even as he lauded the warm working relationship between the executive and legislature.
