Delta Receives N1.13trn In Six Years – Commissioner …Invests N4.5bn On Power

The Delta State
Commissioner for Finance, Chief Kenneth Okpara, has said the state received a total of N1.13 trillion as Statutory Allocation, Value Added Tax and 13 per cent Derivation between January 2007 and September 2013.
Okpara, who made this known at a ministerial press briefing organised by the state Ministry of Information in collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) in Asaba last Monday  said the state received N46 billion in 2007 as against N163 billion in 2008, N53 billion in 2009 and N158 billion in 2010.
The commissioner said that in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the state got N288 billion, N215 billion and N161 billion, respectively.
On expenditure, Okpara said that the aggregate expenditure incurred by the state between May 2007 and September 2013 was put at N1.4 trillion.
He said that the figure comprised N773 billion recurrent expenditure and N676 billion capital expenditure.
Okpara said N48 billion and N42.7 billion was incurred as recurrent and capital expenditure in 2007, while N77.7 billion and N110 billion was incurred as recurrent and capital expenditure in 2008.
He said that the recurrent and capital expenditure was N85.4 billion and N98 billion in 2009, N116 billion and N114 billion in 2010, N17billion and N113billion in 2011 and N159 billion and N118 billion in 2012.
The commissioner said the recurrent and capital expenditure in 2013 were N116 billion and N78.3billion.
Meanwhile the Delta Government says it has invested N4.5billion in power generation to ensure adequate power supply to the state.
The Commissioner for Finance, Chief Kenneth Okpara, stated this while presenting the Mid-Term Report of the ministry last Monday in Asaba.
Okpara, who is also the Commissioner for Economic Planning, said that the essence was to help the state achieve its “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative.
According to him, when there is adequate power supply, businesses in the state will thrive and more investment will come to the state.
Okpara said that the state also invested N2.5 billion for the recapitalisation of the Delta State Trust Mortgage Finance Ltd.
He said that the firm would help to provide long term mortgage financing for the people of the state, especially the civil servants.
“The government also released N5million to the Bank of Industry as counterpart funding for onward lending to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the state,” he said.

Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Zone A, Port Harcourt, Major Felix Oriaghan (middle), with Vice-Chairman, Major Tunde Ogunbiyi (2nd right), Captain Samuel Ejekwu (right), 2nd Leutenant Roseline Wosu (2nd left) and Captian Babatunde Olakunle, during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt last Wednesday.