Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has signed a N314.4 billion Appropriation Bill for the 2022 fiscal year into law, allocating N51 billion to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to drive the critical infrastructure programme of his administration.
Governor Diri while assenting to the bill tagged “Budget of Sustainable Growth” in his office in Government House, Yenagoa, said that the government intends to build critical infrastructures, sustain urban renewal and development, create wealth and job opportunities, build human capital and strengthen agriculture.
Speaking earlier, the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, explained that the original figure was increased by N3,747,410,619, saying that the addition was necessitated by the need to include some government agencies and other areas that were not captured in the bill.
The governor expressed happiness that the budget was speedily passed by the assembly within the 2021 fiscal year, adding that his administration was working towards moving away from dependence on federal allocations by improving the state’s internally generated revenue.
Governor Diri charged those entrusted with the responsibility of collecting revenue to do more to increase the state’s revenue profile from one billion naira to N1.5 billion monthly.
The Bayelsa helmsman appreciated the House for its commitment and called for more collaboration between both arms of government for the development of the state.
His words: “The budget was laid on the floor of the house on October 20, 2021. It went through the legislative processes of lawmaking. It has gone through the scrutiny of the eagle eyes of the legislators and I’m happy that I have given my assent to this bill this 30th day of December 2021.
“The total budget for 2022 is as follows: Three hundred and fourteen billion, four hundred and sixty-five million, eighteen thousand, nine hundred and ninety-seven naira.
“We have to work as a government to move away from dependence on federal allocation, which has characterised our state government over the years.
“Therefore, I like to charge the officials in charge of revenue collection to ensure that in 2022 we have better figures of internally generated revenue in our state. The current revenue falls far too short of the expectations of the state government.
“As a government, we are prioritising Internally generated revenue as one that must increase under this government.”
Diri urged all Bayelsans to work with his administration for the development of the state rather than engaging in criticisms that do the state no good.
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