Gov Diri Presents N242.3bn 2020 Appropriation Bill

-



Two months after he took office, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, presented an appropriation bill of N242.283 billion for the 2020 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly.

Presenting his maiden budget estimate christened, "Consolidation for Prosperity 2020," Senator Diri said the  appropriation bill defines the structure for the economic activities to be undertaken in the fiscal year.

In a press release by his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, the governor emphasised that the policy thrust of his administration in the next four years remains consolidating on the gains already made by the previous government.

He said his administration would embark on special programmes and projects aimed at wealth creation.

Accordingly, he said his administration would encourage the people  to participate in agriculture, small and medium scale enterprises and create opportunities toward attracting the private sector for industrialisation.

Senator Diri equally highlighted other programmes to include infrastructure development, housing and urban renewal, human capital development and public sector and financial management reforms.

On the current economic outlook, the governor said as a result of the ravaging effect of COVID-19 on the global economy, there was need for prudent management of resources.

He said the price of crude oil had nosedived drastically as against the federal government's benchmark pegged at $55 per barrel thus affecting revenue from statutory allocations from the Federation Account.

As part of efforts to reduce the cost of governance and enhance transparency, Senator Diri maintained that the human resources, financial reporting, budgeting and procurement component of the state's Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS) would be fully implemented this year.

The governor, who assured that his administration would continue with the implementation of the Federal Government approved minimum wage for workers, said the payment of gratuity arrears had already commenced for pensioners.

In his remarks, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, commended Governor Diri and his team for the steps taken by his administration to prevent the spread of COVID-19 into the state.

He stressed the need for the state government to adopt more strategies to raise funds from alternative sources and seek ways  to cushion the effects occasioned by the virus.

He assured that the assembly would expedite passage of the appropriation bill.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fayemi Defrays #31 Billion Debt Inherited From Fayose

-
Image
·        …Says 2020 ‘ll be year of life-changing projects Posted by Tony Okechukwu Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Wednesday disclosed that his administration has defrayed #31,105, 658,370.89 amounting to 26% of the total debt inherited by his administration from the immediate past government of Mr. Ayodele Fayose. Delivering a state of the State address at the State House of Assembly, the governor said the sum was expended to defray salaries, pension, gratuity, subvention arrears and contractual claims and obligations owed by Fayose. Fayemi however assured that despite the burden of inherited debts, the year 2020 would witness a massive commissioning of projects and institutionalizing of more life-changing programmes. The governor who described the failure of the immediate past government to meet its obligations to workers and pensioners as a violation of fundamental human rights stated that his administration is focusing ...
Read more

GOs Protest Fraudulent Election Results in Bayelsa

-
Image
Posted By Tony Okechukwu Members of various non-governmental organisations and civil society groups in Bayelsa State, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest over the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections in some parts of the state. Comrade Toitoi Newton of the Grassroots For Development, who led the protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission office in Yenagoa, told journalists that the CSOs demand a cancellation of the purported results from Constituency 4 in Southern Ijaw council and Nembe-Bassambiri in Nembe council where election materials were carted away. According to Comrade Newton, elections did not hold in the seven wards of Nembe-Bassambiri due to the violence orchestrated by political thugs aided by security personnel deployed in the community. He said the people were disenfranchisised as they were chased away from their communities on the day of the election. Comrade Stephen Seleke of the Advocacy for Peace also said an...
Read more

Attorny General of the Federation Clears Rift between Rival Factions of IPMAN

-
Image
By Desmond Ogudu There was wild jubilation across the rank and file of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) nationwide as the Honorable Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami in a landmark judicial release cleared the lingering ambiguity in the Supreme Court judgment of 14th December 2018. Addressing a cross-section of marketers from the Western and Northern Zones who paid him a solidarity visit, the National Deputy President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Alh. Debo Ahmed, began with congratulating His Excellency Pres. Muhammadu Buhari on his 2nd term inauguration in office and pledged the total support of the IPMAN towards his administration’s goal and objectives. He went further to assuring the teeming marketers of the Association's commitment in ensuring a total transformation in the oil and gas down stream sector of the economy. Speaking on behalf of the National President of IPMAN, ...
Read more