Tony Edike and Dayo Johnson
31 December 2008
GOVERNORS Sullivan Chime of Enugu and Olusegun Agagu of Ondo States yesterday signed their states' 2009 Appropriation Bills into law.
In Enugu, while signing the N60.46 billion Appropriation Act, Governor Chime described its quick passage as "one feat I am excited to be part of."
He said: "The passage of the bill and its eventual signing to law today (yesterday) before the end of the fiscal year, is a demonstration of the cordiality and the bond between the executive and the legislative arms in our state. I make bold to say that we have not only the most peaceful legislature in the country but the most responsive and responsible.
"It shows too that the two arms as well as the judiciary understand each other very well. It is also the result of the wider consultation by the executive while preparing the budget," he said.
Governor Chime equally called on the residents to fulfill their obligations to the government.
According to him, "we're determined to continue to do whatever we can as a government to make life better for our people but we expect our people also to be more responsible in the fulfilment of their obligations to government.
"We know the state of affairs in the world economy. Although next year (2009) may not be so bright, government was very realistic in preparing the budget and we're very optimistic that it will fundamentally address the policies and programmes we've outlined to execute in the coming year. We will implement the budget to the letter," he said.
Speaking earlier, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Eugene Odo, noted that with the passage of the budget, the executive had been armed "to carry out the policies and programmes as planned.
We will maintain our oversight functions with a view to ensuring that our collective dreams are achieved and that this government continues to excel in the discharge of its responsibilities to our people."
And in Akure, while signing the N95.6 billion budget, Governor Agagu assured that in spite of the challenges posed by the economic downturn, government would ensure its implementation to the benefit of the people of the state.
The state lawmakers had passed the budget on Monday after jerking it up by N600 million.
Speaker Tafiq Abdulsalam at the passage of the budget asked the state government to improve on its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to cushion the effect of the global economic crisis.
The Governor at yesterday's signing said it was made up of N39 billion or 41.21 percent as recurrent and N56 billion or 58.79 percent as capital estimates.
According to him, "since I assumed the mantle of leadership of this state on 29th May 2003, we had ensured that the appropriation bill of the state is signed into law before the commencement of the next fiscal year."
Dr Agagu who said the budget was prepared based on a benchmark of $49 per barrel of crude oil, however, assured the people of the state that government would do "all that is possible to ensure that essential elements of the budget are implemented for the benefit of our people."
According to him, the economic downturn is a lesson "to our people and to demonstrate that we should be prudent in governance and use available resources very wisely."
A breakdown of the recurrent expenditure showed that personnel cost will take the lion share of N16 billion; transfer to other charges N9 billion; recurrent grants to parastatals and tertiary institutions N5.4 billion, consolidated revenue fund charges N4 billion and other charges N3 billion.
The Governor listed the policy thrust of the 2009 budget to include the completion and commissioning of the ongoing projects, sustenance and improvement of the healthcare delivery system, provision of adequate potable water supply, construction and rehabilitation of roads in urban and rural areas, ensuring prompt and regular payment of workers salaries' and poverty alleviation amongst others.
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