From Moshood Olawale Karim
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has signed the State’s 2024 Appropriation Bill into law after it was passed by the Edo State House of Assembly.
The budget is pegged at N342bn and the majority of it will be used for capital projects to drive further development in the State.
He said, “A fourth night ago, I came to the House to present the last budget in the life of this administration which we termed, ‘Finishing well budget’ and proposed an appropriation of N342 billion.
“I want to thank the House who worked tirelessly to ensure we achieved this today. I am aware of the diligent work in ensuring that the bill is signed and passed into law today in good record time before the end of the financial year.
“The greater percentage of this budget is going to be used for capital projects affecting our people in the State, and less than 50 percent will go for running of government and recurrent expenditure. We appreciate you for the progressive stand taken in this budget.”
“I want to assure you that this government is going to be prudent and disciplined in terms of financial behavior. As a government, we ensure we fulfill and meet all our financial obligations. We meet our commitments as and when due. That is why we are able to pay salaries and benefits of staff on time.
“From what we have seen from this appropriation law, we are going to complete all priority projects we embarked on. No government can complete the entire work in the life of any State or Country; it’s a continuous process. But for those things we set out to do, we will surely complete them and not leave any abandoned projects.
“We are aware of the challenges and difficulties our citizens are facing and are working hard to complete our capital projects. We need to support the weakest in society by providing a soft landing for those who need help to sustain themselves, feed and for small businesses that need capital or support to help keep their livelihood.”
The Governor appreciated the State Assembly for their collaboration and assured the people of Edo State that the government will be prudent and disciplined in terms of financial behavior.
The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Blessing Agbebaku, also commended the Governor for presenting a budget that captured all spheres of administration of the State.
