The legislators had on Monday passed into law the 2009 supplementary budget presented by the executive.
According to the governor, the 2010 budget was prepared based on the stateÕs determination to eliminate wastes and focus on the critical sectors that would ensure economic growth and development for the people, as the provisions are to deliver the promises of his administration by enhancing investment in physical infrastructure, better health care delivery, human capital development and improved socio-economic services.
He disclosed that in preparing the 2010 budget tagged: “People Oriented Budget,” which he said, was highly participatory, as it involved the painstaking process of consultative inputs from sectoral professionals and stakeholders, including political functionaries, it also derived inputs from literature and comments from public opinion analysts and civil society groups to enhance its contents.
Similarly, the governor said emphasis was shifted from utilising limited resources on many projects, to concentrating and focusing on fewer, highly prioritised projects that can be completed within the period under focus.
Revenue sources in the coming 2010, he indicated, will be external and internal. Internally the governor told the state lawmakers in session that in 2010, while there will be intensive revenue drive within the state from which N9.39 billion is targeted, he projected N37.18 billion from the federation account, N5 billion from Valued Added Tax and N5.95 from Derivation.
The governor, who commended the lawmakers for their support and cooperation that impacted on the achievement made in 2009, said that in the coming year, his government would ensure improved efficiency in expenditures, maintain fiscal discipline through transparency and accountability, remain focused in its mission and work relentlessly to reduce corruption, improve productivity and enhance service delivery.
Addressing the governor after his 2010 budget presentation, the Speaker, Chief Agwu U. Agwu, said, “to make the objectives of the 2009 budget achievable, we (lawmakers) suggested some instruments to the government which included the updating of the stateÕs fiscal system and process, introduction of empirical verifiable assumptions for revenue and expenditure projections and reduction of the domestic debt profile level.
“I am happy to announce that our efforts as honourable members and as it concerned the 2009 budget, were not in vain. That budget performed excellently well in implementation in many areas. In personnel emolument Ð salaries/allowances budget scored 98 per cent. In running cost/over head, it achieved 70 per cent, capital expenditure 50 per cent”.
For improved performance of the 2010 budget, he strongly suggested the involvement by the executive, of all stakeholders such as the legislature and the judiciary including representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society organisations, faith and community-based organisations, the organised labour, media, academia, private sector, professional bodies, traditional institutions and socio-cultural groups in the implementation.
