The governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu has signed the 2024 appropriation Law passed by the House of Assembly.
The budget now stands at two hundred and ninety-six billion, nine hundred and eighty-five million six hundred and thirty-one thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight point zero one naira (₦296, 985,631,978.01).
The 2024 appropriation law christened “the People First Budget”, which was presented and submitted to the assembly on October 26, 2023 by Governor Otu, had an estimate of two hundred and fifty billion, five hundred and sixty-four million, two hundred and thirty-five thousand and seventy-seven naira zero five Kobo (₦250,564,235,077.05).
Special Needs
Otu explained that the increment of ₦46 billion naira was based on a later request made to the assembly was to ensure inclusivity of people with special needs, saying “the 2024 Budget that I have just signed into Law provides for aggregate expenditure of Two Hundred and Ninety Six Billion Naira (N296 billion), representing an increase of about Forty Six Billion Naira (N46 billion) over the initial Executive Proposal I presented in October.
“The increase to provide adequate financial support to people living with disabilities, which I requested for after laying the budget proposal before the State House of Assembly. The increase in the budget allocation for this community is not just a necessity, but a moral imperative: to erase social imbalance of this special demographics as they are a vulnerable group,” he said.
Continuing, the governor stated, “they require specialized care, adaptive equipment, and access to resources that accommodate their unique needs. This increase will facilitate better access to healthcare, assistive technologies, education, and employment opportunities tailored to their capabilities.
“Furthermore, there is an upscaled budgetary provision for payment of gratuity, debt services, counterpart funds, nutrition activities, social protection, climate change and gender responsive budget. This Administration is committed to prudent spending, effective governance and unwavering dedication to the welfare of our people,” he stressed.
Legislative Synergy
The governor commended the Cross River State House of Assembly for observing due diligence while considering the proposed bill and early passage into law, which he attributed to the cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Otu said, “with this collective resolve and subsequent action, Cross River State has maintained a predictable, transparent and accountable January to December fiscal document as provided for in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”
He described the law as a blueprint, which defines “our priorities, values, and commitment to the people we serve. It is a testament to our pledge to invest in education, agriculture, power, healthcare, infrastructure, and various sectors crucial to the growth and prosperity of our dear State. It is our commitment to championing social justice, equality, and empowerment for all, irrespective of a citizen’s socio-political and economic standing.”
The budget, according to the governor, would be implemented in line with the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategic Paper, reiterating the resolve of his administration to explore creative ways to increase Internally Generated Revenue to fund the law.
The sectoral allocation of the 2024 budget is as follows: “Economic would gulp ₦104,986,870,898.59; General Administration takes ₦95,815,641,732.59; Social is ₦86,973,489,533.02; while Justice and Regional sectors were allocated ₦7,947,139,687.33 and ₦1,262,390,126.53 respectively.”
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