Gboyega Oyetola on Thursday presented his 2019 fiscal plan to the House of Assembly.
The overall N152.7 billion ‘Budget of Hope’ is lower than the N179.2billion budgeted for the outgoing year.
The governor said he would build on the giant strides of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Oyetola also prioritised agriculture, healthcare and provision of water in the rural area.
The
governor told lawmakers to the admiration of those present that “the
era of payment of modulated salaries and allowances and other benefits
has become a thing of the past.” He added: “Workers and pensioners are
now collecting their full salaries.”
The state is expecting an
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N36 billion at “a minimum
N3billion monthly” out of the projected total revenue of N150billion.
The rest will come from other sources including the Federation Account,
grants, aids, investment and others.
The fiscal plan is heavy on the side of capital projects which got N91.5billion –65 per cent of estimated expenditure.
Education was allocated N10.4 billion or 11.36 per cent of the planned spending.
On
the sector, Oyetola said: “We shall review the school curriculum to
achieve value reorientation and to create a sense of worth belonging in
our youths. Consequently, History shall be re-introduced in our
secondary schools while Civic Education shall be expanded to incorporate
the Omoluabi ethos.
“Focused-attention shall also be given to
technical and vocational education to inculcate relevant skills for the
youth to make them job creators rather than job seekers.
“Our
Administration remains irrevocably committed to the joint ownership and
co-funding of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and
the College of Health Sciences, Osogbo with the Oyo State Government.”
On healthcare, emphasis will be on Health insurance “to provide effective, quality and affordable services to all and sundry.”
The
Health Insurance is a contributory scheme in which the government will
pay three per cent while the worker will contribute 1.5 per cent.
There
is also a plan to revitalise and equip 332 Primary Health Care (PHC)
centres – one in each ward – and 57 secondary health care centres across
the three senatorial districts.
The Ede Headworks water scheme is to be rehabilitated to enhance supply of portable water to at least 12 local government areas.
The Ilesa water project whose work restarted with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari, is to get full attention.
The
governor also pledged to give utmost attention to agriculture to
generate jobs for the youths and to empower farmers who constitute 70
per cent of the population.
Partnerships with the federal government, development partners and agencies are expected to give the needed boost to the sector.
Oyetola
said: “Given the committed leadership this administration is bringing
to the table, and the unwavering following, we have been getting from
the citizenry, the state of Osun is poised to set the pace in economic
independence.
“We shall put strategic in place to further promote
food security, employment and create wealth by investing heavily in
agriculture, mining, infrastructure, commerce and industry, education
and technology.
“We shall also introduce creative and prudent
management of our resources, block leakages, and eliminate wastages. We
will assemble the brightest of the best minds to drive our policies as
we are committed to provide equitable opportunities and people-oriented
governance.
“We are committed to consolidating on the various
ongoing projects and programmes by delivering on the continuous
investment in education, healthcare and social welfare, unwavering
attention to security of lives and property, people-oriented and good
governance system that founded on zero tolerance for corruption.”
Traditional
rulers and federal lawmakers from the state including Senator Sola
Adeyeye and House of Representatives members Ajibola Famurewa, Yinka
Ajayi, Mrs Ayo Omidiran and former Speaker Adejare Bello attended the
budget presentation session.
House Speaker Najeem Salaam promised
a speedy consideration of the proposal as requested by the governor as
soon as the House resumes from recess on January 14, 2019
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