BIYI SAMUEL/AKURE
The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu has signed the year 2017 budget estimate of N170. 845billion into law.
A total of N169. 72 billion was earlier presented to the House by the governor as budge estimate was however increased with 1.36million by the lawmakers.
In his budge speech, the governor attributed the increased to what he described as adolitional responsibility to the state tertiary institutions.
While giving the breakdown of the budge, the governor said N8.1billion will go for debt services, statutory transfer N8.3billion, capital expenditure N59.1billion while recurrent expenditure gulps 95.1billion.
According to him, any nation or state which has her recurrent expenditure higher than what operates in the state will be ‘eating her future’.
Since the half of the total budget goes to recurrent expenditure in the 2017 budget of the state, he said, “let us continue to eat our future knowing full well that our children will ask us”.
He therefore disclosed his readiness to take steps in re appropriation to enable those that are not salary earners to benefit.
In view of this, he said, he will be fully determined to improve financial circumstances of generating revenue before the end of the year.
The governor while disclosing that he has already employed the services of consultants to deal with the situation, he implored all civil servants to cooperate.
His words, “this administration requires the cooperation of everyone here to generate enough revenue to meet the demands of our people.
Earlier in his address, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, the Rt. Hon. Bamidele Oleyeloogun commended the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Sunday Olajide for a job well done.
The committee members, he said had proven themselves to be good ambassadors of their people by delivering the budge in good time.
