Akeredolu Signs 2023 Appropriation Bill into Law

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) yesterday signed the 2023 appropriation bill into law.

Akeredolu had on December 5, 2022, presented a total budget proposal of N272.736 billion to the state House of Assembly for approval and passage, but the lawmakers passed a total budget of N275, 979, 184, 000, which was signed into law by the governor.

The Assembly Appropriation Committee led by Hon. Akintomide Akinrogunde said the budget was increased in cognizance of the current economic realities in the country.

The governor, while signing the 2023 Appropriation Bill into law at the Exco Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Alagbaka in Akure noted that N129, 839 billion, representing 47 percent of the total budget, is to cater for recurrent expenditure, while N146,140 billion, representing 52.99 percent, is for capital development.

According to him, the signed budget, christened: ‘Budget of Shared Prosperity’, was prepared from the inputs garnered from the people during the Town Hall meetings with various stakeholders across the state, stressing that the budget preparation was also based on the ‘redeemed agenda’ of his administration, which he said was the guide post for development of the state.

The governor described as heartwarming the recent ranking of Ondo State as the state with the least poverty index in the country, noting that the ranking by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index of States in Nigeria was a testimony that his administration is on the right track.

He said: “In line with the global best practices, we have strategically cut down the overhead costs and other miscellaneous expenses in order to free funds for development programmes and projects. In broad view, the 2023 budget packaged is made up of transformative infrastructural projects, inclusive social-economic interventions in healthcare, education, job creation and empowerment, industry enablers, among others for our state.

“I solicit the understanding of the people of the state and enjoin them to pay their taxes. I also solicit the support of all the MDAs, particularly the revenue generating ones, to cooperate with the state Internal Revenue Service in order to shore up the state independent revenue that will engender growth and development in the coming fiscal year.”

Earlier, the Speaker of the House, Bamidele Oleyelogun, while presenting the 2023 Appropriation Bill to the governor, commended him for the priority attention given to all sectors of the economy of the state.

He said: “The pace of infrastructural development in the state is highly noticeable despite the paucity of fund. All these are manifestation of the governor’s strong resolve and determination to take this state to the level he envisioned. Let me also commend him for the timely presentation of this fiscal document which led to its early passage.”