2023 Budget: We‘ll Continue To Run An Open and Inclusive Government- Oyo-Acting Governor

…as Oyo govt holds Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting
The Acting Governor, Oyo State, Barrister Bayo Lawal, on Wednesday, led top government functionaries and other stakeholders to host the third edition of the state’s inclusive budget initiative, where he said in the last three years, the present administration has been running an open and inclusive government.

Lawal, who spoke at the Budget Consultative Forum, held at the international conference centre, the university of Ibadan, ahead of the 2023 Budget said the government will always involve citizens in the budgetary process.
Lawal, who spoke at the Budget Consultative Forum, held at the international conference centre, the university of Ibadan, ahead of the 2023 Budget said the government will always involve citizens in the budgetary process.

He explained that the government had a total budget of N294.5Billion and allocated One Hundred and Fifty-Six Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy-One Naira (N156,000,136,971.00) into the economy through investments in infrastructure and ensuring that people have higher purchasing power.

According to him, For the first time, our capital expenditure at 52.97% is more than our recurrent expenditure while we have maintained a lower recurrent expenditure to capital expenditure ratio. For the 2022 fiscal year, our recurrent expenditure is One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixteen Million, Three Hundred and Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty-Six Naira (N138, 516,308,136.00). This represents 47.3% of our total budget. As with the 2021 budget we used the tenets of the Federation’s Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) and other development aspirations as our guide.

Lawal explained that the government would continue to deliver promises on massive infrastructural development that will cut across the state, saying the present administration has embarked on various capital projects beneficial to the people in the past three years.

He hinted that the government has constructed 56 Model Schools in three years, while it has also completed the renovation of 299 Primary Health Care Centres in its drive to ensure the existence of at least one functional PHC in each of the 351 Electoral Wards of the state.

He noted that the government has approved the recruitment of additional 500 corps into the State Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, adding that the exercise will enhance Amotekun’s performance and further deepen the security architecture of the state.

Lawal added that in the current fiscal arrangement, the state had a total budget of N294.5Billion, out of which, it allocated One Hundred and Fifty-Six Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy-One Naira (N156,000,136,971.00) into the economy through investments in infrastructure.

He said: Today presents another clear opportunity to make good our commitment to the democratic norm of running a people-centred Government. We have in the last three years demonstrated that an open and inclusive Government is not only desirable but very possible. This is the fourth series of stakeholders consultative and engagement meetings we have had with our people in keeping our promise to always involve them in the budgetary process and set your input whenever we are processing the state budget.
“No doubt, the town hall meetings, one of the many platforms of our engagement and consultation with the people, has produced positive outcomes and are expedient in providing perceptive ideas with valuable recommendations on how to serve our people better. We are indeed encouraged and motivated by your various contributions at the previous Town Hall Meetings held across the seven geo-political zones of the State in the last three years.

This time around, and in line with our tradition, we are embarking on another round of Town Hall Meetings to give Stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to the direction of the Year 2023 budget. It is our fervent hope that these interactions will bring you on board the opportunity to voice your concerns and preferences, while we shall continue to update you on our policies, programmes and plans. We assure you that your opinions will significantly impact our future activities.

Since the assumption of office three years ago, this administration has progressed significantly with the tasks of transforming the State from poverty to prosperity. In the current fiscal arrangement, we had a total budget of N294.5Billion, out of which, we allocated One Hundred and Fifty-Six Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy-One Naira (N156,000,136,971.00) into our economy through investments in infrastructure and ensuring that our people have higher purchasing power. For the first time, our capital expenditure at 52.97% is more than our recurrent expenditure while we have maintained a lower recurrent expenditure to capital expenditure ratio. For the 2022 fiscal year, our recurrent expenditure is One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixteen Million, Three Hundred and Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty-Six Naira (N138, 516,308,136.00). This represents 47.3% of our total budget. As with the 2021 budget we used the tenets of the Federation’s Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) and other development aspirations as our guide.

He said at the end of this year’s rainy season, the government will commence the rehabilitation of rural roads through the RAAMP project and secure financial support from the development partners for rural roads, agro logistics, and market and industrial hubs.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musbau Babatunde, said the programme was a further attestation to the all-inclusive nature of governance under the present administration in Oyo State and its resolve to enshrine the principle of equity and participatory approach to governance.

Babatunde stated that a stakeholder meeting of such nature was a genuine platform where all opinions would not only be explored but would be critically examined for the growth and development of the State, stressing that having a people-oriented budget has always been the priority of the Makinde administration.

The programme was attended by Government officials, the traditional institution, Civil Society Organizations, and Stakeholders from all the Local Governments that make up Ibadan City.