Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has said that the State’s 2021 budget will strengthen his administration’s commitment to delivering good governance.
Governor Abiodun added that next year’s fiscal direction will lay great emphasis on the relative value and cost of each expenditure item upon which his government will commit its resources.
The Governor stated this on Monday in his address at the Treasury Board Meeting on the 2021 budget held at the Obas’ Complex, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
According to the Abiodun, the treasury meeting had become imperative in order to get inputs of the MDAs and factor them into the preparation of the 2021 budget.
He recalled that the process for the preparation for the next year’s budget had been kick-started with a sensitisation programme with stakeholders, followed by virtual town hall meetings across the three senatorial districts, noting that ‘recommendations, comments and contributions of our people are new eye-openers to many issues bothering on the continued development of our dear state.’
The Governor stressed that various recommendations and contributions by the people had been acknowledged and accommodated in the consideration of putting up a functional and people-oriented budget for the 2021 fiscal year.
While noting that the 2020 budget was reviewed downward from N450b to N281b in line with the reality of the economic downturn occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, Abiodun disclosed that his administration had prepared for the post-pandemic era by putting in place legacy structures that will stand the test of time.
‘The Government had allocated about 10% of the revised budget to battle the effects of the pandemic. Other sectors like agriculture, housing, education, health and infrastructure, amongst others, are key to enhancing the living conditions of our people.
‘In the course of the year, greater attention of our administration was directed at stemming the tide of COVID-19 and also boost our economy after the long downturn occasioned by the global pandemic. At this meeting, therefore, you are expected to present the programmes and projects which your respective MDAs intend to execute in order to achieve the Building Our Future Together Agenda.
‘For the coming Year 2021, we all have responsibilities to ensure a more robust fiscal Year that will sustain our policy and programmes towards the successful implementation of our agenda. I call on all relevant stakeholders to continue to cooperate and collaborate with us towards building a more prosperous future of our dear state,’ the Governor stated.
Governor Abiodun reiterated his administration’s resolve not to leave any project uncompleted at the expiration of its tenure, saying: ‘In the last seventeen months of our administration, we have continued to embark upon key infrastructural facilities to unlock our socio-economic potentials.’
‘In this direction, the 2021 Budget, therefore, will seek to be in furtherance of our administration’s commitment to good governance to our people irrespective of their economic status, and geographical location.’