Lagos Records Fall In Budget Performance

The Lagos State Government has recorded a fall in first quarter of the 2013 budget performance as it posts four percent short of the 65 percent budget performance it recorded in the first quarter of 2012 budget review.

Speaking after the first quarter budget review at the weekend at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, Governor Babatunde Fashola said the budget performance was 61 percent and fell short of its performance in the first quarter of 2012.

“We just received the first quarter report for 2013 budget performance and the result was 61 percent budget performance, slightly down from performance in the first quarter of 2012 which was 65 percent, but again we remain committed to improving upon our overall performance of 89 percent attained in 2012.

“So this is the first quarter and in spite of the fact that this is a budget that was dedicated to completing existing projects, I think that we are well off the mark given the many variables. I think I am satisfied that capacity will improve in the second quarter, subject always to funding as the major challenge that we have had to deal with. But in terms of the impact of the budget, I think it all speaks for itself,” he explained.

Fashola urged the citizens to discharge their obligations by paying their taxes as at when due, saying that “is the citizen’s end of the social contract. In that way, they can hold us responsible and accountable on how the resources they put at our disposal are utilised.”

On the issue of peace and stability in the state, the governor said he was comforted that things were heading in the right direction, stressing that nothing could happen without stability and peace.

He therefore  urged Lagosian to be law abiding.

“If we have a safe environment, we can focus more on developmental issues. Lagosians respect each other’s religious and ethnic diversity and we can only encourage them to continue to do so,” he said.