Okowa presenting the 2019 budget. |
Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa of Delta State has sent a N27.9 billion supplementary budget for 2019 to
the State House of Assembly for approval, increasing the initial budget figure
of N390 billion to N417.9 billion.
Okowa’s proposal was contained in a letter to the state house of
assembly which was read by the Speaker, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, at the
plenary today, Tuesday, October 22, 2019 in Asaba.
According to the governor, the proposal for the budget review
was informed by the performance of the approved 2019 budget and improvement in
the revenue of the state.
He said the review was intended to adjust and realign the budgetary provisions
of 2019 to accommodate commitments, priority projects and programmes of the
state government which were not adequately provided for.
Okowa gave the breakdown of the reviewed
budget as follows: N169.7 billion for Recurrent Expenditure and N248.1 billion
for Capital Expenditure.
The Majority Leader of the house, Mr Tim
Owhefere, moved a motion for the house to receive the letter from the governor
and was seconded by Mr. Festus Okoh, representing Ika South.
The motion was unanimously adopted by the members and the house slated the
second reading of the bill for Wednesday.
Also, the house approved the request by
the governor for the state to accept United Bank for Africa PLC’s re-issued
offer of N500 million revolving bank guarantee and issuance of conditional
Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) in favour of UBA PLC.
The governor’s request was also
contained in a letter read by the speaker during plenary on Tuesday in Asaba.
In the letter, Okowa recalled that the state Executive Council on February 27,
2018 approved that the state should secure N600 million revolving bank
guarantee in favour of Lafarge Holding in Africa PLC from a distance class
deposit money bank.
He said that the bank guarantee was to
facilitate the proposed construction of 10,000 housing units for civil servants
in Illah, Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state.
The governor said that the bank had
offered a bank guarantee which the state duly accepted.
Consequently, the house approved the
request, following a motion by the majority leader which was seconded by the
Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Oboro Preyor.
The house further approved another
request for the validation of a bank guarantee offered by Zenith Bank PLC in
respect of N200 million Federal Government share of the counterpart funds for
the 2018 SDGs and CGS projects in the state.
The speaker who read the letter of
request, said the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
SDGs had called for the submission of application to commence the 2018
Conditional Grants Scheme to the state.
The majority leader also moved a motion
for the receipt of the letter for further consideration and approval and the
motion, which was unanimously adopted, was seconded by Mr Austin Chikezie
(PDP-Aniocha South). (NAN)
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