1st October, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on Tuesday signed the 2015 budget appropriation Bill of N159.3 billion passed by the State House of Assembly into law.
The budget is about N3 billion higher than the estimates of N156.7 billion presented to the Assembly by the governor on September 23, 2014 for consideration.
Oshiomhole while signing the budget, said “we are now the first government to pass into law appropriation of 2015”, noting that the House has become more effective.
In apparent reaction to the increase in the budget, the governor pointed out that the state government in proposing the sum of N156.7 billion, took into account the sources of funding the budget from both the Federation Account and other sources, but however noted that the House has the right to tinker with the proposal “as it was not cast in stone”.
Oshiomhole who expressed hope that the federal government’s effort in preventing crude oil theft would yield result to allow for more revenue from the Federation Account to the state, promised to sustain the tradition of prudent management of the budget, blockage of leakages and increase in internal revenue drive and expressed his commitment to take Edo to the next level.
He said the continued absence from legislative duties by some members of the state House of Assembly could not invalidate the decisions of the house as long as members form quorum, adding that, the judiciary would resolve the issue of disobedience of court orders by suspended lawmakers.
The governor took a swipe at some electronic media in the state who he said were of the habit of using the media to create factions in the state House of Assembly where none exist.