Fayemi’s budget 78% realised – Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has presented an appropriation bill of N80.774 billion to the state House of Assembly for the 2015 fiscal year.

The budget is tagged: “Budget of reality.”

It represents 77.7 per cent of the 2014 budget of N103.8 billion of former Governor Kayode Fayemi.

But lawmakers on the platform of the opposition All Progressives Congress were absent at the assembly chambers, which was filled to the brim, when the budget proposal was presented by Fayose.

It was also difficult to ascertain the PDP lawmakers at the presentation as members of the public were allowed to sit in the chamber.

In the 2015 appropriation bill, a total of N48.717 billion was allocated to recurrent expenditure, while capital expenditure will gulp N31.956 billion.

Fayose said the size of the bill was informed by his government’s desire to live within its means and go with an achievable estimate rather than “decorate the budget with unrealistic figures”.

The governor, while calling for the expeditious passage of the bill, explained that the budget would be funded by revenue from the federation allocation, internally generated revenue and other sources.

The governor, however, said that his government would access N5 billion internal loan contrary to his earlier stance that he would not borrow to run his government.

During an interview with journalists after the presentation, Fayose said: “This is a different scenario.

“This issue of taking loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria is for all states of the federation and a similar one that amounts to N3 billion are peculiar loans from the Federal Government for SMEs to be able to address borrowing.

“Such loans are unavoidable loans and to stand as guarantee for such people to have assess to such loans.

“There is a repayment process that the government must stand as guarantor.

“And the fact that I said we would not borrow should not be misinterpreted.

“If you borrow, you must pay within your tenure so that you do not involve in financial recklessness for people coming after you.”

While reviewing the performance of the 2014 budget implemented by Fayemi up tillOctober 15, Fayose said the budget was 78 per cent realised.

Fayose said the 2015 budget would focus on the empowerment of people economically, development of agriculture, infrastructural development, restoration of the glory of the state, provision of free health care services for children, pregnant women and the physically challenged and security of life and property.

The governor, who faulted the former administration’s claim that the state’s internally generated revenue had hit N600 million per month, said the IGR is still below N30 million.

He, however, vowed that his government would embark on aggressive IGR to boost the state’s earnings.