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Tony Osauzo, Benin
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clement Agba, has assured that the country would have a higher implementation of the national budget in 2020.
His optimism stemmed form the early passage of the budget by the National Assembly and its signing by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Agba spoke to journalists shortly after he was honoured by the Afemai Patriotic Development Association (APDA) at Agenebode, headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
“With 57 percent implementation of 2019 budget which was passed just in June, I am optimistic that the 2020 budget that was passed and signed in record time will attain higher implementation.
“We have not had it so good in the last few years. In the past, there were delays of passage of budgets by the National Assembly which in turn reduces the level of implementation.
“For instance, if the 2019 budget could attain about 57 per cent implementation after so much delay for about six months, it is hopeful that since that of 2020 was passed and signed in record time, we should be talking about nothing less that 80 percent implementation. And should that happen, it means that a lot of capital projects would be carried out that will benefit Nigerians”, the Minister said.
On his reception, Agba said the Afenmai land that comprises the Akoko Edos, Etsakos and Owans, is peopled by the best brains and leaders that have over the years demonstrated selflessness and commitment to national development.
He said the nation cannot wish away, in a hurry the contributions of the Momohs, the Agbazika Innihs, the Mike Akhigbes, the Pa Imoudus, the Obaros and nunerous others to national development, pointing out that Afenmai produced the first female senator, Franca Afegbua, and the first Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations.
Thanking President Buhari for appointing him into his cabinet of the All Progressives Party (APC) led-administration, the first by an Afemai person since 1999, Agba disclosed that working closely with the president in the past few months has given him the opportunity to have a better insight into the unseen, unnoticed and unadvertised humane disposition and passion for a Nigeria that “works for all of us especially the unprivileged people.”
Interim president of APDA, Mr. Kennedy Izuagbe, called on the minister to collaborate with the state government to harness the abundant mineral resources in Afemailand to develop the area. He said with adequate synergy with the state government, much development could be brought to the community.
