From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa House of Assembly has vowed it will intensify its oversight functions for proper implementation of the 2021 budget.
The House had recently passed N329 billion appropriation bill which was also signed into law by Governor Douye Diri.
House Committee Chairman on Information, Tare Pori, who stated this in an interview with newsmen, said the lawmakers, in line with their constitutional role, oversight ministries departments and agencies (MDAs) to ensure a smooth implementation of the 2021 budget.
According to him, the 6th Bayelsa House of Assembly, under the leadership of Abraham Ingobere, will strengthen its monitoring of the funds appropriated to various MDAs to ensure Bayelsans get value for their money.
“We got the draft bill on November 26 and worked on it extensively, the original sum was N290 billion.
“We increased it to N329 billion to make more funds available to ministries of Works and Agriculture to buttress our desire to have the people feel the impact of government.
“In 2021, our oversight role will be very active because we have noticed a lot of lapses in the way MDAs that generate revenue expend the funds without appropriation, and we have to signal them that it cannot be tolerated.
“We are hopeful that with the early passage and assent to the bill, there will be no delays as we get into the New Year, it will be a smooth journey towards meeting the pledges the government made to the people,” he said.
Pori expressed optimism that the incidents of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EndSARS protests and flood which frustrated the implementation of the 2020 budget would not happened in 2021.
He said the 2021 budget is a budget of growth, noting that the lawmakers are hoping to see things differently done in the education and agriculture sectors.