Edo To Spend N101.9bn …As Oshiomhole Signs 2010 Budget

A cross section of Batch ‘A’ 2009 Corps members, during the passing out ceremony, at Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has signed the state’s 2010 Appropriation bill into law

The N101.965 billion “Budget of Consolidation” is N21.37 billion higher than that of 2009 and N2.71 billion higher than the actual bill submitted to the state Assembly.

The budget breakdown shows that capital estimates will take N63.174 billion, while  N38.91billion is allocated to recurrent expenditure.

Speaking at the budget signing ceremony, Governor Oshiomhole commended the House of Assembly for the speedy passage of the appropriation bill, saying that it is a major improvement over that of last year.

According to the governor, “last year the appropriation bill was not ready until about the 20th of April. That we are able to conclude this task first week of February is a major improvement over last year.

“I want to assure the people of the state that we will be able to implement the budget much faster this year unlike last year” he noted.

He stated that in spite of the late passage of the bill last year, it still recorded 73 percent performance, noting that this year’s performance level will be higher.

In his words, “I want to assure the good people of Edo State that we will continue in the manner we started. We have mobilized contractors across the eighteen local government areas and we are ordering our priorities right”.

Comrade Oshiomhole thanked the people of Edo State, particularly the people of Benin City for the massive support they have extended to his administration, adding that in most cases they enthusiastically and voluntarily remove illegal structures that obstruct the right of way.

He assured that government would sustain the level of activities that have started, saying that Edo state has become a huge construction site and expressing hope that with this budget, the people would continue to smile.