Dickson Presents N217.5bn Budget To Assembly

The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, has presented the state’s 2012 Appropriation Bill of N217.58 billion before the State House of Assembly. On assumption of duty, he had withdrawn the earlier bill of N287 billion presented by his predecessor, Chief Timipre Sylva.

In the budget, the works and transport sub-sectors had the largest budgetary allocation of N38.3 billion, with the state capital expenditure standing at N125.5 billion.

Christened the budget of “Restoration’’, Dickson said attention would be focused on infrastructural provision with the completion of vital projects such as the three senatorial roads, the 500 Melford Okilo Hospital, building of school buildings and hospitals at each of the local government headquarters and construction of new secretariats and Assembly quarters.

Breakdown of the budgetary allocations showed that N21 billion was earmarked for the education sector; health, N8.8 billion; energy, N4.9 billion; agriculture, N3.5 billion; sports, N4.9 billion; local government and community development, N5.1 billion; environment, N2.1 billion; information and orientation, N2.6 billion; youth and women development, N2.1 billion; judiciary and justice, N3.3 billion; housing and urban development N9.4 billion, among others.

Dickson, said that “in pursuant of halting infrastructural decay and enthrone good and responsive governance in the state, we have undertaken wide consultations and made enquiries into aspects of our public life, for effective service delivery and related matters.’’

According to him “as a result of re-engineering the state bureaucracy, we now have 26 ministries to enhance focused and robust treatment of the multi-faceted developmental issues that confront us.”

He therefore, pleaded with the lawmakers to give the bill accelerated consideration, so that its objectives could be realised in time.

Responding, the Speaker of the House, Hon Benson Konbowei assured the governor of the House’s co-operation in his efforts to reposition the state.