Ogun assembly passes 2017 appropriation bill into law

OGUN State House of Assembly, on Thursday, passed the 2017 appropriation bill of N221.09 billion into law.

The legislature, however, cut N38.5 million from the initial N221.12 billion presented by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

The bill, passed at the assembly’s plenary, had a recurrent expenditure of N91.4 billion while N118.5 billion was appropriated for capital expenditure.

The bill also had N11.5 billion as consolidated revenue fund charges and pensions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Amosun had on November 22 presented a fiscal proposal of N221.12 billion to the House.

Mr Adeyinka Mafe, the Majority Leader, moved the motion for the third reading which was seconded by Mr Mojeed Soyebo, after which the Clerk, Mr Lanre Bisiriyu, did the third reading.

The budget was passed after Mr Olusola Bankole, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, presented the committee’s report to the House.

Bankole assured his colleagues that the reduction would not have any negative effect on the MDAs.

The bill was passed with slight adjustments in some agencies which led to an increment of N107.5 million in the fund initially allocated for salaries which moved from N62.728 billion to N62.836billion.

He said that the capital expenditure was reduced by about N146 million, moving from N118.305 billion down to N118.159 billion, saying that the expected revenue is slashed from N114.343 billion to N114.305 billion.

Bankole also said that the committee also proposed that the College of Health Technology, Ilese, be moved from the Health to Education sector.

“The committee also proposed that the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) be moved from security sector to transport,’’ he said.

Bankole said the heads of 112 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) appeared before the appropriate sub-committees of the House to defend the proposals of their various offices.

He said the Commissioner for Finance and the Accountant-General should ensure that revenues accrued to the state were paid directly into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Mr Suraj Adekunbi, the Speaker, directed that the clean copy of the bill be sent to the governor for his assent.