Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, South-west Nigeria, has signed the 2021 Appropriation Bill into law.
The budget of about N109 billion has 54 percent for capital and 46 percent for recurrent expenditure.
Oyetola said the budget will witness a new phase of massive transformation that will take the State to higher levels.
He stressed that the budget will also offer greater hope of job opportunities, improved welfare for all, human capital and massive infrastructural development than the previous year.
During the official signing of the Appropriation Bill in Osogbo, the state capital, the governor said the 2021 budget would perform far better than that of the 2020, which recorded over 90 percent performance despite the COVID-19 lockdown and EndSARS protest.
“I am proud to announce that the 2020 budget recorded over 90 percent performance and the results were demonstrated in the massive delivery of programmes and projects across the State during the year, despite the fact that government was only able to perform for less than six months because of the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the EndSARS protest.
“The performance of the 2020 budget was birthed by employment of creative and probity strategies, including efficient deployment of available resources, cutting costs and plunging wastes to deliver service in a depressed economy.
“Let me stress that we are resolved to follow this time-tested principle for optimum results in 2021,” Governor Oyetola stressed.
Oyetola who described the budget as a product of reality, said modalities had been put in place to ensure it offers more hope as government is determined to perform better than before.
He said Year 2021 budget had been creatively appropriated and designed to meet the present socio-economic realities and statutory obligations of the government.
While presenting the Bill to the governor for signing, the Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, commended the governor for his sterling performance in the implementation of the 2020 budget.
He lauded the governor’s prudence, probity and accountability in the management of the State’s resources, saying Oyetola has performed excellently well in the implementation of the 2020 budget in spite of the socio-economic challenges occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
Owoeye expressed confidence in the ability of the executive arm to ensure adequate implementation of the Year 2021 budget for the good and betterment of the people.
On his part, the commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Olalekan Yinusa, maintained that the success of the 2020 budget was due to the ingenuity and proactiveness of Governor Oyetola in spite of the challenges witnessed during the year.
He said the 2021 budget was prepared based on realistic and stringent conditions to meet the statutory obligations.
