The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Monday, signed the 2013 Appropriation bill of N 97.6 billion and nine other bills into law.
The nine bills include the law to provide for the grant of pension to former governors and their deputies and other auxiliary matters, the Ekiti State Peace Corps law 2012, the Prohibition of Smoking in Public places Law 2012, the Ekiti State Lotteries law 2012 and the House of Assembly Commission Loans Board 2012.
Others are the Ekiti State Board of Internal Revenue law 2013, the Ekiti State Advisory on Prerogative of Mercy Law, the Local Government Service Commission(amendment) law, and the Local Government Administration (amendment) law.
Appending his signature to the bills, Fayemi said that the focus of the 2013 budget is to consolidate on all on-going projects across the state through people empowerment.
Fayemi said this informed of the proposal to create the Ministry of Rural Development and Empowerment as a means to ensuring that all of government’s projects are effectively delivered to the grassroots.
While noting that this was the first time the state’s budget would be passed before the new year, the governor said the 2013 appropriation was tailored in line with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, which covers all sectors of the state’s economy.
He however assured that the budget would be “carefully and faithfully implemented”.
On the other laws, Fayemi said the establishment of Peace Corps was to consolidate the existing relative peace in the state, as members of the Corps know the local terrain more than other security agencies.
He assured the people of the state that the corps members they would collaborate with other security agencies in the state to ensure peace continues to reign in the state.
He stated that the Board of Internal Revenue law was to reduce the state’s dependence on federal allocation and achieve the vision of his administration on revenue generation.
Fayemi stated that all the laws are to create an environment for people-oriented and predictive government.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, commended the Fayemi-led administration for delivering dividends of democracy to the people in line with the 2012 budget.
Omirin added the early passage of the budget is not unconnected to the fact that the proposal has provisions and capacity to build on the achievement recorded in 2012 by the administration.
It would be recalled that the governor had on December 6 presented a budget proposal of N93.6 billion to the Assembly but was jerked up to N97.6 billion.
The House of Assembly passed the budget on December 28, paving the way for the signing into law on Monday.
The event was witnessed by top government functionaries, traditional rulers, as well as representatives from the private sector.