GOVERNOR MAKINDE PRESENTS N208.8 BILLON BUDGET FOR 2020

The Governor highlighted some of the key areas of the 2020 Budget Proposal for the revenue and expenditure plans and how it will contribute to the accelerated development of the economy of Oyo State.

He said, “In keeping with the yearnings of the people of Oyo State which they communicated to us during the budget town hall meetings we held across the three senatorial districts, we are aiming for at least 70% budget implementation, we believe we can even exceed this because we are not building castles in the air. Our proposed budget income matches our proposed expenditure’.

“Infrastructure in the 2020 Fiscal Year’s Budget at 23.93% of the total sum allocated, because it is our plan to be bullish with infrastructural development, especially road construction, the sum of N35.4Billion has been provided in the 2020 budget for ongoing and proposed roads projects in all the senatorial zones’.

“In the 2020 budget, we have provided for capital projects in education sector along with regular payment of subvention. For these reasons, Education comes a close second to Works with a total allocation of 22.37% of the budget’.

“We have started tackling head on the number of out-of-school children in Oyo State by providing free education in public secondary schools. We followed up by providing the students with free exercise books and textbooks. We have also made these textbooks available for download online on the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology website. Recently, we awarded the contract to produce a compilation of past examination questions in ten subjects for Senior Secondary School 3 students, to help them prepare for WAEC exams.

Penpushing further reports that other area which has been prioritized in the 2020 budget is Healthcare at 5.18% of the total budget proposal, and the Governor said, on assumption of office, we discovered that our hospitals were mere consulting clinics due to lack of basic functional medical equipment’.

‘In September, we installed and commissioned the Radio-diagnostic Unit, a surgical operation theatre and an automated medical laboratory at the Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road. This ensures quality healthcare delivery to the people of Oyo State’.

“I have, therefore, given approval for the recruitment of five hundred (500) Medical and Health Workers in our hospitals, at the State College of Nursing and Midwifery as well as the College of Health Science and Technology’.

“We remain determined to utilize agriculture to drive our economy and have allocated 4.43% of the total budget proposal to this sector, we are implementing policies that will transform farming activities, increase production, and improve the quality of food crops, livestock exports and industrial crops through application of modern technology.’

“Other areas of the budget that require consideration include: personnel Cost: Starting from June 2019, we have consistently paid staff salaries on the 25th day of every month. We have also consistently increased the allocation to payment of gratuities to steadily offset the huge backlog. Staff Housing Loan has increased from Two Million Naira to Three Million Naira, while the Staff Car Loan Scheme has been increased from Five Hundred Thousand Naira to Seven Hundred Thousand Naira.

“It is therefore with a deep sense of responsibility that I present to you The Oyo State Budget Proposal for the 2020 Fiscal Year. I can assure that every kobo of the Two Hundred and Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Two Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy Eight Naira Zero Kobo is accounted for. Every single expenditure is geared towards facilitating the accelerated development of our beloved Oyo State’.

The Governor, however said that the budget is of the people and for the people, promising that every citizen of Oyo State has a workable plan that they can identify with, because It has been his honour to present it and his prayer is that the State House of Assembly give it due consideration in a timely manner so that implementation may commence and Oyo State will indeed get on the path to accelerated development.

Penpushing further reports that the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Hon. Debo Ogundoyin noted that the leadership of the 9th Assembly is fully committed about the implementation of the budget, saying that the 2020 budget can be term as the budget of reality for the masses, assuring,”we shall put all our efforts to ensure a quick passage of the budget, we are here to support the executive for the speedy passage of the budget meticulously’