Sanwo-Olu, Diri Sign 2021 Appropriation Bills into Law

Sanwo-Olu, Diri Sign 2021 Appropriation Bills into Law

By Segun James

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Bayelsa State counterparty, Senator Douye Diri, yesterday signed their 2021 Appropriation Bills into law

While the Lagos budget is N1.16trilion, that of Bayelsa is N329.29 billion.

In Lagos, before signing the budget into law at the State House at Marina, Governor Sanwo-Olu promised that it would be fully implement the law.

The governor stressed that the budget would help the state government to recover from the ugly incidents that bedevilled the state in 2020.

“As we already know, 2020 will go down in history as a peculiar year largely defined by the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, which were recklessly hijacked by those who destroyed some of our public assets and private businesses.

“We are, however, fortunate to be going into the new year with an already passed budget, which will help us to expedite our recovery process. A significant portion of the budget has been committed to human capital development, youth engagement, social intervention initiatives, and the completion of ongoing projects that are critical to achieving the objectives of our T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.

“The state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget will present to the public the full details and breakdown of the budget in due course.

“I assure you that the 2021 budget will be prudently implemented with the people as our focus, because we are determined to provide the right economic environment for Lagosians to thrive,” the governor said.

Sanwo-Olu further said: “As the world combats the coronavirus, we will make the necessary sacrifices to further place our state on the path of abundance and economic recovery. We are going into 2021 with the unwavering determination to engender sustainable and inclusive growth.” In Bayelsa, Governor Diri while assenting to the bill in Government House, Yenagoa, said the increase in the figure would address areas of deficit identified in the appropriation bill as well as assist in the infrastructure development of the state.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as noting that the increase in the 2021 budget was intended to tackle the completion of the three senatorial roads, the AIT/Igbogene ring road project and construction of the Gloryland Drive in addition to rehabilitation of the internal roads within the Yenagoa metropolis.

His words: “We had a challenging year 2020. All what we anticipated did not go as planned because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lock down across the country.

“The three senatorial roads would receive expedited attention. The Gloryland Drive, AIT/Igbogene ring road project and the internal roads in Yenagoa that are in a state of disrepair would receive immediate attention as we go into year 2021.”

He urged the people, particularly the youths and business firms, to take advantage of areas of the budget that would aid creation of jobs and wealth.

While commending the leadership of the state assembly for expeditious passage of the bill, the governor stressed the need to sustain the existing harmony between between the executive and legislative arms of government, which he said was necessary for the stability and overall development of the
state.

Related Articles