Osun Assembly passes N121.2bn budget for 2016

By Lateef Dada
Osogbo

Osun state House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2016 budget estimate of N141, 276,122, 240.
The budget was passed following a motion by the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Kamil Oyedele, for its final passage at the plenary.
In a statement by the chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the passed budget was the request of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Aregbesola had, on December 14, 2015, presented a budget estimate of N150.7 billion before the Assembly and later wrote them to readjust it to  N137.978 billion.
The passed budget has N79.183 billion representing 56.06  per cent as recurrent expenditure and N62.093 billion representing 43.95 as capital expenditure.
Also, the recurrent revenue covers N99.468 billion representing 70.41 per cent, while the capital revenue covers N41.808 billion representing 29.59 per cent.
The Speaker, Najeem Salaam, according to the statement, said on no account should the executive spend beyond the approved budget without viament or supplementary budget to the House.

Describing the budget as the “budget of hope,” he expressed hope that the 2016 would be a better year in terms of capacity building, provision of infrastructure for the people and welfare of workers.
He urged the workers to assist in the quest for revenue generation, saying the government needed to look inward for improve revenue without putting unnecessary burden on the people.
The statement further said that Salaam tasked the executive to explore all avenue to block the leakages.
Meanwhile, Safiriyu Akinwole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Ife East constituency has been elected as the Minority Leader.
His appointment followed his nomination by the Sunday Eluwole, representing Ife East, and seconded by Babatunde Olatunji, representing Ife North constituency.