Fayemi signs N124.7b budget for 2020

Pledges to fulfil electioneering promises
Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has signed the 2020 Appropriation Bill of N124.7 billion into law, with a promise to deliver his electioneering promises to the people of the state.

Dr. Fayemi, while signing the document tagged ‘The Budget of Deliverables’, described it as a plan focused on enhancing good governance and implementing a speedy economic transformation of the state.

He added that the budget signalled his administration’s focus on improving and “deepening the infrastructure stock required to attract investments to the state”.

The governor stated that the signing of the appropriation bill into law returned the state to its predictable January to December budget cycle while also switching from the old-fashioned cash-based budgeting to International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS).

He stated that his government was well positioned to implement the budget and continue the journey of delivering promises to the people.

“This budget tagged ‘Budget of Deliverables’ is a N124.7 billion plan focused on enhancing good governance and implementing a speedy economic transformation of Ekiti State.”

“It signals our focus on improving and deepening the infrastructure stock, required to attract investments to our state, targeting agricultural and rural transformation, enhancing human capital development by improving access to quality education and healthcare, social investments to support and protect the poor and vulnerable; and the improvement in governance systems across the state,” he said.

Fayemi thanked the House of Assembly, the State Executive Council (SEC) members, the public service and Ekiti people for the collaborative efforts that returned normalcy to the state’s budgeting cycle.

According to him, the Assembly has proven to be a worthy partner with the executive by working tirelessly to review the budget estimates and prepare a final budget.

In his remarks, Speaker of the Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye, said the house painstakingly deliberated and forensically scrutinised the budget estimate as required by law.

Afuye said the people’s engagement in the budgeting process, as well as the cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature, made its passage easier.

The speaker, who urged the governor to ensure that the new budget was implemented to the letter, said the House of Assembly would conduct oversight activities on budget tracking and monitoring of the Ministries, departments and Agencies (MDAs), so that the budget could make more positive impact on the people.