Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, yesterday signed the 2018 Appropriation Bill of the state into law.
The governor also signed into law the state Contributory Health Insurance and the Ondo State Social Protection bills.
The state House of Assembly had last year approved the N181 billion budget presented to it by Governor Akeredolu.
Signing the law at the Cocoa conference hall of the governor’s office, Akeredolu, who was flanked by the Assembly Speaker, David Oloyelogun, said the laws would enhance development if properly implemented.
The governor said his intention is to take governance to the people through people-oriented programmes that would take care of the populace.
He said his administration will concentrate more on capital expenditure to abridge the huge infrastructure deficit in the state.
Akeredolu, who lamented the huge concentration of budgets on recurrent expenditure, described the state of development in the state as worrisome, adding that he was prepared to develop the state and make it envy of others.
In the budget, capital expenditure for the fiscal year stands at N80 billion, while debt service will cost N13.600 billion and statutory transfers to local governments put at N8.307 billion.
On the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme law, the governor said the law will ensure that every resident of the state has access to good health care services.