SAN FRANCISCO, February 16, (THEWILL) – Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday signed the state’s N116.6 billion 2016 Appropriation Bill into law.
THEWILL reports that the state governor disclosed that the 2015 budget performed optimally in all sectors.
Recall that the governor had last December presented a budget estimate of N111, 596, 683,785 billion to the Edo State House of Assembly and just last Thursday the House approved the budget by over N5 billion.
The 2016 budget provides for a recurrent expenditure of N57.1 billion and a capital estimate of N59.5 billion, making a total budget of N116.6 billion, Oshiomhole said.
“I am very proud to say that when I look at the performance of the 2015 budget on works for example, the budget performed 99 percent at a time of dwindling revenue. It shows that even in the face of dwindling resources, we had to prioritize and move resources to those areas that we believe would affect the ordinary man in the street.
“On healthcare, we delivered about 96 percent 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 percent. For those who are familiar with life in Benin City, 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,” he said.
Lagos To Build Highway To Link Ikorodu, Arepo, Shagamu To Curb Pipeline Vandalism
Lagos State has proposed the construction of a highway to link Ishawo in Ikorodu, with the Arepo border community in Ogun State, connecting the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as part of measures to check petroleum pipeline vandalism and upgrade the quality of lives of communities around that axis.
Activities of pipeline vandals along that corridor, a major concern to the government, has resulted in economic losses even as lives and properties estimated in millions are lost intermittently. Sometime ago, naval personnel joining the military detachment to check the operations of the vandals lost their lives in the lagoons.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who was on the tour of the affected areas in the company of members of the state security council, including the commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, said Lagos would be reaching out to Ogun and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to build the road.
Ambode was conducted round the vandals’ routes in Ikorodu by Julius Ogbebo, a lieutenant colonel from 174 Battalion.
“We have made tremendous achievements. Over the past few months, we have recovered over 2,000 by 50 litres of illegal products from vandals. We have also recovered over 36 vehicles, and we have more than 15 suspects. Some of them have been handed over to the Civil Defence Corps for prosecution and further action,” Ogbebo told the governor.
Ganiyu Johnson, Lagos State commissioner for works and infrastructure, confirmed to journalists that he had received a directive from Ambode to immediately work out the modalities to actualise the road, and this would be tabled before the state executive council.
“Hopefully, by the fourth quarter of this year, this road should be a reality,” Johnson said.
Ambode, who praised the military personnel stationed in the affected communities since October 2015, to secure the pipelines, said since their deployment, there had been relative peace in the communities as the activities of the vandals had been checked.
“On behalf of Lagos State, I’m visiting this area to show our appreciation firstly to the Nigerian security forces that have joined hands together in assisting the Lagos State government to eradicate vandalism across our pipelines that are within the area of Ikorodu Local Government,” the governor said.
Story by David Oputah
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