Edo 2016: N116.6 billion Appropriation Bill Becomes Law As Oshiomhole Assents!

By Alltimepost.com

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has signed the state’s N116.6 billion 2016 Appropriation Bill into law.

Oshiomhole said shortly after assenting to the Bill at the State House in Benin City on Tuesday, that the 2015 budget performed optimally in all sectors.

It was the 8th times that the Governor signed such bills since his assumption of the mantle of leadership of Edo State in 2008 and will be the last that he would sign as he is on the last lap of his tenure.

“I have just had the honor and privilege of signing into law the last budget that I will be signing in my capacity as the Governor of this state; the 8th budget I am signing into law,” Oshiomhole said.

This budget provides for a recurrent expenditure of N57.1 billion naira and a Capital estimate of N59.5 billion naira, making a total budget of N116.6 billion.

Oshiomhole recalled that his 2nd budget in 2009 was about N150 billion, saying: so we have come down from that peak of about N150 billion to a modest budget of N116 billion that is a huge drop.”

He noted that the state now has a smaller budget at a time of mounting expectations from the people, adding: “as we have seen, the reward for hard work is more work, is experienced here in Edo.”

Oshiomhole took a swipe at previous governments in the state for what he described as lack of performance.

He said the people expected nothing from them because they had no reputation of delivering anything.

“Given our track records in the areas of infrastructure across the three senatorial districts, the various sectors, education, health, environment, works and housing, the more roads we built, the more the people expect that we should do more roads, the more erosion problem we addressed, the more other communities that are also affected expect that we should also address their own problem.”

As a result, he said the administration was having more demands in infrastructure at a time of dwindling revenue because of fear about not knowing what the next governor will do.

The Governor was confident in his party producing the next governor, that according to him, would follow a family tradition – that of sustaining and building on the foundation laid by his administration.

“We started on ground minus zero, and the next governor doesn’t need to start from ground zero; he will have to build on the foundation already laid and sometimes, laying foundation is far more difficult than building on it,” he remarked.

On healthcare, he said his administration delivered about 96% as evidenced by the fact that even in the midst of dwindling resources and at a time that most states are unable to pay salaries, “we are not only up-to-date in salaries, we are able to sustain all our capital projects in the beautiful ultra-modern five-star Central Hospital.”

“In the Ministry of Environment, the figures show that we performed up to 70%. For those who are familiar with life in Benin, the area that everybody described as ‘mammy-water’ zone where ordinary people like us cannot dare visit; the much talked about Teachers House, today you can drive up to Egor Market on a brand new six-lane road all the way from Oba Market.

“For those who can remember how the Oba Market was around this time in 2008 to how it is today, I am glad that this government has delivered on that.”

On education, Oshiomhole touted his administration’s sustenance of the red roof revolution and the budget, putting performance level at about 85%.

“That is evident by the fact that we have more primary schools built during the year 2015, more secondary schools built and we have sustained the construction of the university, a new university and other various interventions in the education sector.

“It is easy to sign budget, where the challenge is to deliver on the promise of the budget. I am proud that even at a time when many people have given up, Edo State delivered on the critical areas of the capital side of the budget, an average of about 90%. That for me is a positive one.”

He assured that the new budget just signed into law was executed even in the face of the obvious dwindling revenue accruing to State Government.

Comrade Oshiomhole thanked the Speaker and members of the State House of Assembly for their diligent work of rigorously interrogating all the line managers: commissioners and their permanent secretaries to defend their budget.

He also expressed his appreciation to them for buying into the vision of the administration “that whereas we will want to continue delivering on the capital side, make sufficient provision in the area of works, environment, education and other social sectors, we at the same time ensured that we reduced considerably, the recurrent side from the Governor’s Office down to the House of Assembly and every arm of executive and the legislative arm.”

“This we have done to reflect the reality of our dwindling resources. We will cut as much as we can, anything that we can do without so that we can leverage resources we need to deal with those issues we are obliged to address.”

He said he was proud to say the members of the Assembly have shown uncommon commitment to service.”

It will be recalled that Governor Oshiomhole had on December 14, 2015 presented a budget estimate of N111.5 billion to the Edo State House of Assembly for consideration and passage.