Niger Delta

Diri Presents N385.2bn 2023 Appropriation Budget …Capital Expenditure Gulps N167.545bn

Published

2 years ago

November 10, 2022

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has presented a N385,211,578,924 Appropriation Budget for the 2023 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly for consideration.
Presenting the proposal tagged: “Budget of Sustainable Growth and Reconstruction,” at the Assembly, Senator Diri said it was hinged on a six-pronged agenda, which include continuous building of infrastructure and reconstruction of such infrastructure that had been severely degraded by the floods.
He also said the Civil Service would be made more professional, while the agricultural sector will be transformed to be an essential contributor to the state’s economy and generate employment through various empowerment programmes.
He also stated that while his administration would continue to engage the Federal Government to intervene on the flood situation, a special Directorate for Flood and Erosion Control and Management would be established to provide technical support for flooding and erosion-related issues.
The Tide reports that the Governor further stated that the budget would be funded from various sources such as the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) receipts to the tune of N153.511 billion, saying it represents 40% of the total appropriation.
Other are the 13% derivation with N148 billion, representing 39%, internally generated revenue (IGR) of N20 billion, representing 5%, grants of N16.7 billion, representing 4%, and loans of N47 billion, representing 12%.
Details of the proposed expenditure include personnel cost of N63.380 billion, overhead cost N95.458 billion, capital expenditure N167.545 billion, pension and gratuities (N14.711 billion), public debt servicing (N33.7 billion), and contributory pension, LGAs, Rural Development Authorities (RDAs) and SUBEB (N4.7 billion).
A sectoral breakdown of the budget proposal indicated that the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure got the lion’s share of N77.924 billion, followed by Education Ministry N40.458 billion, totalling N118.382bn.
Other allocations were: Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (N14.199bn), Environment (N13.842bn), while Health had N12.526bn.
Governor Diri said Lands and Housing Ministry would get N7.278 billion, Information, Orientation and Strategy N6.319 billion, while Ministry of Transport N5.322 billion, and N5.793 billion was earmarked for the Local Government and Community Development Ministry.
The Tide further reports that while the Ministry of Youth and Sports was allotted N4.610 billion, Trade, Industry and Investment got N2.844 billion, and the Ministry of Power got N2.5 billion.
The Governor said the government had prudently implemented the 2022 budget and made noteworthy headway in executing several capital-intensive projects.
Such projects include the 22.2km Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie Road, which had been asphalted close to Angiama community, the bridge across the Silver River at Aguobiri Community that is about 90% completed, while work on the Angiama-Oporoma Bridge was ongoing and being adequately funded.
According to him, the continuation of the 42km stretch of the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road, which asphalting had reached Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area, is scheduled to be completed within the first quarter of 2023.
“Work is also progressing on one lane and median of the 21km Igbogene-AIT/Elebele Outer Ring Road, while two sections of the road, Igbogene to Okarki and Imiringi to Elebele roundabout, have been completed. Work is ongoing on the two remaining sections of the lane,” he said.
He noted that construction of the Nembe-Brass Road, conceived over seven decades ago, was ongoing, stating that the first phase of the road covers 21km with 10 bridges and had a completion timeline of 24 months.
Responding to the Governor’s presentation, Speaker of the 6th Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, described it as historic, being the last of the Prosperity Government’s first tenure and the last the present crop of lawmakers would attend to before next year’s election.
The Speaker assured that the Assembly will prioritise the appropriation bill and ensure deliberation on it was completed before the end of the year.
He, however, drew the Governor’s attention to what he described as revenue leakages in the state IGR and advised that the financial team synergises to block such loopholes in the revenue generating agencies that he said were not remitting levies to the state coffers.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Fouchee Celebrates Asari’s Recognition

Published

4 days ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Amayanabo of Fouchee Community in Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State, HRH. A.C.Blakk-Iwerima, says the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri is the icing on the achievements of the Rivers State Governor in 2024.

HRH. Blakk-Iwerima, who was speaking recently to newsmen after the annual thanksgiving service of the Fouchee Community, said the recognition of Dokubo Asari was fit and proper and sounds like music in the ears of all people of Ifoko ancestry.

He commended the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara, for the recognition of Dokubo Asari, whose leadership role, he acknowledged, stands out.

He also commended the Governor for the many steps being taken to restore sanity in governance and dousing desperation through people-centered policies in the State.

According to him, “the Kings, Chiefs and people of Fouchee and Ifoko Communities in the Kalabari ethnic nationality are very proud of Alabo, Alhaji Dokubo Asari, whose links with Ifoko has been most rewarding”.

HRH. Blakk-Iwerima promised to give all the support needed to enable the team working on the Fouchee Atlantic Project to succeed, and expressed hope that the Rivers State Government would also give the needed backing.

He further called on Asari to use the recognition to strengthen the Kalabari Se Kobiri and bring all aggrieved persons and communities to see the need to work together.

Niger Delta

Kalabari Media Forum Hails Recognition Of Dokubo Asari As Amayanabo

Published

4 days ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Kalabari Media Forum has endorsed the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri and the historical relevance of the award.

A communique issued after the 2024 end of year summit of the Forum also commends the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara for the recognition which they described as the best end of year gift to the Kalabari people.

The Communique signed by the Coordinator of the Forum, Alabo Dagogo Clinton and the Secretary, Mr. Harry Awolayeofori Macmorrison states that the gesture should make the Kalabari people to get back to the drawing board and consolidate on existing inter and intra communal peace within the region.

According to the statement, Torusarama Piri was the first place where the founding fathers of Kalabari converged from different cultures, tribes and backgrounds. Adding that those saying that the Kalabari people are not united should think again.

” As the different founding fathers were able to form a formidable ethnic nationality, modern day Kalabari should be able to sink the differences between the constituent communities and with other non-Kalabari speaking neighbours to achieve the needed internal cohesion for development”. It states.

The Forum further congratulated Alabo Asari Dokubo on his recognition and urged him to use the opportunity to do even more for the Kalabari people and Rivers State as a whole.

According to the statement, the Forum is happy with the recognition of Dokubo Asari not because he is one of the patrons of the Forum, but because he is about the most Kalabari-centric figure living, who has also committed enormous resources for the protection of the Kalabari people.

They urged the Kalabari Se Kobiri and the entire people of the ethnic nationality to work with Alabo Dokubo Asari and put to rest speculations about Kalabari that some persons have exploited against the interest of the Kalabari people over the years.

Niger Delta

We’re Upgrading Tourism Sites Across C’River – Otu

Published

4 days ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has said plans were underway to upgrade tourism sites across the state to meet international standards.

Speaking with newsmen in Calabar, Otu said this was to attract local and international tourists to the state.

He said the state was also working on creating the needed infrastructure to boost tourism in the areas of transportation and accommodation among others.

“We are currently training personnel within the state and outside the country to upgrade our tourism sites. We are partnering with investors to bring some of them to 21st century standard.

“Currently, we are trying to ensure our roads are taken care of. We are not waiting on the Federal Government again because it has become clear that priorities are too many, so, we have to help ourselves.

“We want to ensure people easily access those tourism sites with very little difficulty and we are looking at stabilising our product pricing by making sure transportation is improved. We will explore gas, electricity and train.

“We are going to improve aviation as well”, he said.

Speaking on the just-concluded Calabar Carnival, Otu commended the competing and non-competing bands for their remarkable imput which culminated to the success of the event.

He appreciated everyone who worked behind the scene in the nine months preparation period for the carnival.

According to him, with guidance from renowned professors, researchers, individual artistes and many more professionals, the carnival was improved on.

He said in view of the need to bring back the international carnival, the state would work on ensuring world-class accommodation facilities are put in place ahead of the next edition.

He noted that the state would have a post carnival review to assess the areas to be improved on and other programmes to introduce.

Otu said depending on the outcome of the review, the state would be considering establishing diaspora bands in 2025.

“International carnival is not scrapped, we are looking at the prospect of established diaspora bands in 2025. This time, we are going to have a post carnival review to put things right.

“We are aware that three to four months ahead of the Calabar Carnival, hotels were already fully booked. So, we are trying to make sure we do not only have enough hotels but also ensure they are upscaled to international standards.

“This is because next Calabar Carnival will be a bigger picture with our international carnival in place.

“We already have international hospitality facilities that are moving here, we have hotels that are almost completed which can compete with any hotel across the world”, he said.

Otu, expressed excitement over the exhilarating performance of physically challenged individuals in the carnival.

He said the possibility of having a dedicated carnival band for them in 2025 would be explored.

“We do not see them as being limited by whatever challenges they face. We are looking at some of the things they have put to us but there must be a policy.

“We are looking at setting up a proper structure in their favour. So, to encourage them on the carnival front, the chairman of the Carnival Commission will check if they actually need their own band”, he said.