Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Thursday signed into law the 2019 Appropriation Bill of N390.3 billion with assurance that his administration will utilise the window of opportunity provided by the current dry season to execute many infrastructural projects across the state.
‘’This is very important for governance because it gives us room to utilise the dry season to construct roads and provide other infrastructures before the commencement of the rainy season,” Okowa noted.
The 2019 budget is made of capital expenditure estimates of N233.2 billion and a recurrent expenditure of N157.1 billion.
He commended the state House of Assembly for the early passage of the Appropriation Bill, describing the state legislature as great partners in the delivery of dividends of democracy to Deltans.
According to the governor, “With the signing of the appropriation bill into law, it means power has been given to the executive to start implementing the budget; we now have enough room to perform.
“With the cooperation and partnership of the state House of Assembly in the course of 2018, we have worked in harmony putting the state first; together in the last three years plus, we have been able to impact positively on infrastructure development; we have constructed roads, built a lot of schools, improved on the health facilities and provided a lot of jobs for Deltans.
‘’Due to our achievements, there is peace in the state, and we thank Deltans for the partnership which has yielded great results, and we are confident that as we are leaving office in 2023, so by then, we would have left a lot in the state that we would be proud of and Deltans will be happier.”
Okowa had on October 17, 2018, presented a budgetary proposal of N367 billion to the state House of Assembly, but the legislature passed the Appropriation Bill with an increase of about N23 billion.
Presenting the approved bill to the governor for his signature, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, accompanied by the Clerk of the assembly, Mrs. Lyna Ochulor, and other principal officers, disclosed that the bill as presented by the governor passed through rigorous process before it was approved.
“The bill passed through all the processes as it was designed to consolidate on the achievements of the governor,” Oborevwori said.
