By Dipo Olowookere
Governor of Osun State, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, has presented a budget estimate of N152.7 billion to the state House of Assembly, lower than the N179.2 billion budgeted for the 2018 financial year.
Presenting the 2019 budget proposal to the parliament on Thursday, his first, Mr Oyetola said priority would be given to agriculture, healthcare and provision of water in the rural communities in the state.
According to him, the Budget of Hope is aimed at building on the giant strides of the immediate past administration Mr Rauf Aregbesola.
He said capital projects will take 65 percent of the total expenditure, amounting to N91.5 billion, while education has 11.36 percent, representing N10.4 billion.
Speaking on how his administration plans to generate the revenue for the year, Mr Oyetola said the state is expecting an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N36 billion at a minimum N3 billion per month of the projected total revenue of N150 billion, with the remaining coming from other sources including the Federation Account, grants, aids, investment and others.
The Governor said the era of payment of modulated salaries and allowances and other benefits was over, adding that workers and pensioners were now collecting their full salaries.
On education, he said, “We shall review the school curriculum to achieve value reorientation and to create a sense of worth belonging in our youths. Consequently, History shall be re-introduced in our secondary schools while Civic Education shall be expanded to incorporate the Omoluabi ethos.
“Focused-attention shall also be given to technical and vocational education to inculcate relevant skills for the youth to make them job creators rather than job seekers.
“Our Administration remains irrevocably committed to the joint ownership and co-funding of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and the College of Health Sciences, Osogbo with the Oyo State Government.”
On healthcare, emphasis will be on Health insurance “to provide effective, quality and affordable services to all and sundry.”
The Health Insurance is a contributory scheme in which the government will pay three percent while the worker will contribute 1.5 percent.
There is also a plan to revitalise and equip 332 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres – one in each ward – and 57 secondary health care centres across the three senatorial districts.
The Ede Headworks water scheme is to be rehabilitated to enhance supply of portable water to at least 12 local government areas.
The Ilesa water project whose work restarted with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari, is to get full attention.
“Given the committed leadership this administration is bringing to the table, and the unwavering following, we have been getting from the citizenry, the state of Osun is poised to set the pace in economic independence.
“We shall put strategic in place to further promote food security, employment and create wealth by investing heavily in agriculture, mining, infrastructure, commerce and industry, education and technology.
“We shall also introduce creative and prudent management of our resources, block leakages, and eliminate wastages. We will assemble the brightest of the best minds to drive our policies as we are committed to provide equitable opportunities and people-oriented governance.
“We are committed to consolidating on the various ongoing projects and programmes by delivering on the continuous investment in education, healthcare and social welfare, unwavering attention to security of lives and property, people-oriented and good governance system that founded on zero tolerance for corruption,” the Governor told the lawmakers.
Adedapo Adesanya