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By Samuel Adegoke
Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has revealed the stoppage of earning revenue through the Joint Allocation Committee (JAC) with the local government chairmen as from 2019 owing to reconstruction of accounts.
The governor made this known in his 2019 budget presentation to the state’s House of Assembly on Monday. He proposed a total of N285 billion budget for 2019, christening it the ‘Budget of Sustainability.’
According to the governor, the state earned N6.7 billion from the sub-head in the outgoing year. He said the reconstruction of account has led to the stoppage of the revenue as from 2019.
Of the huge sum proposed for 2019 , the state hopes to rake in N117 billion from the Federation Account and raise N115.5 billion internally (Internally Generated Revenue IGR). With N6.33 billion balance brought forward, the governor proposed capital receipts of N46.17 billion for the new year, bringing the total to N285 billion.
While capital expenditure is expected to gulp N163.7.47, recurrent expenditure is expected to gulp N121.53 billion. Under the recurrent expenditure, personnel cost is N41.14 and overhead cost N28.72. The state will spend N51.67 billion on consolidated revenue fund charges.
Completion of all these going and newly awarded road projects will cost N38.5 billion while N3.2 billion will be used to settle outstanding retention’s on completed roads.
The state hopes to rake in more revenue through the ongoing digital mapping of the state which is expected to be concluded in 2019. It will enhance collection of land use charge, housing enumeration and population census, among others.
Ajimobi plans to focus more on sustaining ongoing and new agriculture projects that are geared towards food production, preservation and employment generation for the citizenry. They include the state’s partnership project with Dangote Industries on rice outgrowership and organic integrated farm, establishment of agriculture zones to enhance food production and completion of the mega silo in Aawe.
Ajimobi reminded the lawmakers of his promises during the presentation of his first budget in 2011. He emphasized that he has accomplished his promises as he reeled out his achievements in enthroning peace and security, outstanding infrastructural development, improved education and healthcare delivery, urban renewal, agricultural development and youth development, among others.
“Without any doubt, our administration is leaving Oyo State much better than it met it. To paraphrase Augustus Caesar, the founder of the Roman Empire, ‘We met Oyo State a State of bricks and we are leaving it a State of Marble”, he said.