Apparently to imitate President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All progressives Congress, APC, Governor Ayodele Fayose has promised to pay N5,000 to 10,000 less privileged residents of Ekiti State to alleviate their sufferings.
Buhari in his 2016 budget has set aside over N600billion to give N5000 stipends to vulnerable Nigerians, free meals to pupils among others, as part of the fulfilment of his campaign promises.
The Governor stated this while presenting N67.044 billion 2016 fiscal year budget to the House of Assembly.
Fayose described the performance of the 2015 budget of the state as below expectation. He said this year’s budget could only achieve 70 per cent at the end of the third quarter of the year.
He explained that the appropriation bill was 83 per cent of last year’s budget of N80.78 billion, noting the 2016 proposed budget is made up of N24.9 billion capital expenditure and N42.1 billion recurrent expenditure – he described it as ‘budget of reality’.
Fayose attributed the gloomy economy, political turbulence in the first half of the year caused by the APC/PDP lawmakers’ crisis to some of the factors which made it impossible for the 2015 budget to achieve the desired result.
The Governor assured that the 2016 budget will focus on the implementation of projects and programmes that will drive home the six cardinal programmes of his administration which are empowerment, agriculture, infrastructural development, education, science and technology, health care services and good governance.
He also promise that the budget will diversify the economy from federation account dependent to the exploitation of natural resources and widening its tax base for more money for the development of the state.
