Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, the Osun State governor, on Thursday presented his maiden fiscal estimate of N152,756,088,830 for 2019 to the state’s House of Assembly.
Presenting the budget titled, ‘Budget of Hope’, Oyetola said the recurrent sector would gulp N15,870,175,600.0 10.39, while N91,957,496,420.00 65.43 is for capital expenditure.
Oyetola described the budget as unique, saying it was drawn from a carefully crafted 10-year development plans.
Overall, the N152.7 billion budget was lower than the N179.2 billion budgeted for the outgoing year, even as the governor said he would build on the giant strides of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Oyetola also prioritised agriculture, healthcare and provision of water in the rural area, even as he stressed that “the era of payment of modulated salaries and allowances and other benefits has become a thing of the past.”
He added: “Workers and pensioners are now collecting their full salaries.”
He stressed that the state would expect an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N36 billion at a minimum N3billion monthly, out of the projected total revenue of N150 billion.
The rest, he stated, would come from other sources, including the Federation Account, grants, aids, investment and others.
The fiscal plan was heavy on the side of capital projects, which got N91.5billion or 65 per cent of the estimated expenditure, while education was allocated N10.4 billion or 11.36 per cent of the planned spending.
READ ALSO: Nigeria needs $337bn to implement SDGs from 2019-2022 – UN
Oyetola said: “We shall review the school curriculum to achieve value reorientation and to create a sense of worth belonging in our youths. Consequently, History shall be re-introduced in our secondary schools, while Civic Education shall be expanded to incorporate the Omoluabi ethos.
“Focused attention shall also be given to technical and vocational education to inculcate relevant skills for the youth to make them job creators rather than job seekers.
“Our administration remains irrevocably committed to the joint ownership and co-funding of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and the College of Health Sciences, Osogbo with the Oyo State government.”
On healthcare, he said that emphasis would be on health insurance “to provide effective, quality and affordable services to all and sundry.”
House Speaker, Najeem Salaam, promised a speedy consideration of the proposal as requested by the governor as soon as the House resumes from recess on January 14, 2019.
Traditional rulers and federal lawmakers from the state, including Senator Sola Adeyeye and House of Representatives members Ajibola Famurewa, Yinka Ajayi, Mrs Ayo Omidiran and former Speaker Adejare Bello, attended the session.
