In order to keep the economy growing and sustain the tempo
of development, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has presented N103,882
billion 2014 Budget tagged: “Budget of Stability and Growth”, to the House of
Assembly. The proposed budget exceeded Budget 2013 by N1.379 billion.
N52,776,226 billion (52 per cent) was allotted to capital expenditure and
N50,106,166 billion (48 per cent) to recurrent expenditure.
Some road projects, such as Ipole-Iloro – Ogotun Road,
Ido-Ile – Okemesi Junction, Aramoko-Erijinyan-Ikogosi Road,
Ayegunle-Ijurin-Iloro Road, Ido-Ipere-Isan- Iludun Road and Ilogbo-Ido Road are
to get the government’s attention as Infrastructure was given N17.2 billion;
Administration, N9.8 billion; Social Services, N2.4 billion and the Economic
Sector gulping, N25 billion.
On Environment, Fayemi assured that attention would be given to Ado Ekiti to make
it a model city and reference point among other state capitals, while the Urban
Renewal Programmes shall be extended to other local governments’ headquarters.
This sector, according to him, is expected to gulp N3,262,245,330.80. The
construction of walk-ways and other beautification will cost N100,000,000.
Sports development gets about N2 billion, Information
Service is allocated N580 million, Education sub-sector, N2,464,777,561.52,
while N3,516,500,000 is set aside for Health programmes.
N5,017,600,000 goes to Agriculture, Rural Development and
Community Empowerment; Industrial Development gets N3,009,000,000;
N503,334,523.71 is to be spent on Tourism while other statutory institutions
get budgets for their subventions.
The governor, who reiterated his commitment to the welfare
of workers, assured that N4,300,000,000 has been set aside for the payment of
pensions and gratuities of retirees.
“This Administration shall continue to support any scheme
that would improve the welfare of the entire workforce. This we have
demonstrated in the re- introduction of the cancelled loan schemes. Training
and re-training of the workforce shall also be accorded priority. The welfare of our senior citizens
i.e. retired workers shall also continue to receive attention of this
government. To this end, a sum of N4,300,000,000.00 (Four Billion, Three
Hundred Million Naira) has been set aside in the 2014 budget for the payment of
pensions and gratuities”, he noted.
Fayemi said: “We have invested over N1.2 billion in water
production in the last three years with over 157.3 kilometres of water pipe
laid in 2011 alone. Three water schemes were completed and inaugurated in
Efon-Alaye, Okemesi and Ido-Ile, while two other schemes in Ipole-Iloro and
Erinjiyan Ekiti are nearing completion. About 4.0 billion cubic metres of water
has been produced and distributed through the water schemes to the various
communities in the state during the last two years”.
According to him the bill is applied to complete ongoing
projects and it will, accelerate empowerment of rural communities and improve
the economy.
He described the budget as participatory, saying it reflects
the needs of communities, which were collated during his recent tour of the
state, adding that the 2014 Budget process is designed to achieve the 8-point agenda
of this Administration; hence, it has been very participatory in its
development and is therefore realistic and achievable..
The Assembly speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, commended the
Fayemi-led administration on the implementation of the 2013 budget of
Consolidation and Economic Empowerment, saying that the budget though not 100 percent implemented, was impressive and
had made the state to witness a greater performance, which had resulted in some landmark projects
and programmes.
He assured that the House would not lose sight of its
oversight functions to ensure accountability, transparency and probity in the
implementation of the 2014 budget, which he said would be given attention and
expeditious passage.
Also recently, Dr. Fayemi bagged an award at the just
concluded 2013 Nigeria Media Merit Award held at Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort,
Ikogosi- Ekiti.
During the programme, the governor described the Nigerian
Press as a beacon of hope and renewal in the national experience, saying it has
always been at the vanguard of agitation
for justice, equity and development in the country.
Fayemi, who was once a journalist, stressed that the media
has a sacred role in enabling the attainment of the desires of Nigerians. He
said it is the only formal institution granted an oversight function on the
government, its activities and organs by the constitution.
"Since nations are essentially narrated entities, the
media has been the crucible holding together the narrative of the directions or
tangents that our reality has set on, while showing this up as an evidence of
how much progress or regress the nation and its citizens are making towards the
objectives of the society. The media is the quintessential witness to truth and
justice, the anticipated arbiter on the side of truth and its messenger",
he said.
Fayemi highlighted the steps taken by his administration to
make the state a destination of first choice for business and pleasure, as
evident in the infrastructure put in place in all parts of the state,
especially the Ikogosi Warm Spring resort which hosted the event.
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