DELTA State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has
assented to the 2017 Appropriation Bill of N294.5 billion with an assurance
that his administration will not waver in its commitment to infrastructural
development.
The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, accompanied by his Deputy, Rt.
Hon. Friday Osanebi, Clerk of the House, Mrs Lyna
Ochukor, and other principal officers of the DTHA presented passed the
Appropriation Bill today (14/03/17) at
the occasion which took place in Government House Asaba and was witnessed by
members of the Delta State Executive Council and other top government
functionaries.
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| Governor Okowa signing the 2017 appropriation law, flanked by other government officials. |
“We have a budget of approximately N294 billion in the
year 2017 and it is our hope that the finances coming from various sectors will
improve in the course of this year so that we are able to meet with our
obligations to our people” the governor said, disclosing, “the budget is made
up of N158 billion in recurrent expenditure and N136 billion in capital
expenditure.”
Governor Okowa continued, “The recurrent expenditure is
high because we have a heavy wage bill when it comes to the issue of payment of
salary but, beyond that, the state is also spending N31 billion in the
servicing of debts in the course of the year.”
He commended the Delta State House of Assembly for its
cooperation with the Executive arm especially with regards to the speedy
passage of Executive Bills, stating that government will intensify its drive to
boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to meet its infrastructural drive.
Governor Okowa used the occasion to thank the youths of
the state for their cooperation in ensuring peaceful environment for
developmental projects to take place, noting that a lot was being done by his
administration in attracting developmental projects to the creeks and the
riverine communities.
“The state government will continue with its
infrastructural development of the riverine areas this year; we are facing the
realities on the ground because, the riverine areas needs infrastructure just
like the upland,” he said, reiterating, “the more we put infrastructure in the
riverine areas, the less there will be slum areas in the cities and towns; I
want to assure you that it is possible to truly impact on these riverine
communities and make them better places to inhabit and improve on the economy.”
Rt. Hon. Igbuya while presenting the budget, informed the
governor that the appropriation bill was presented to the House of Assembly in
November, 2016 and passed through all due legislative procedures before it was
passed by the House in February, 2017,
He assured Governor Okowa of the continuous cooperation of
the House in making laws that will improve the lots of Deltans,
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