The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has signed the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law after receiving the revised bill from the legislature.
The initial budget estimate saw an increment from N146 billion to N150 billion.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital, Governor Obaseki commended the State House of Assembly for keying into his administration’s vision of boosting economic growth through agricultural development and job creation among others.
He said: “We cannot express our gratitude enough as an executive arm of government for this unique and historic event of the signing of our Appropriation Bill before the end of the year. I cannot recall when this sort of thing occurred in Edo state in the last seven to eight years.
“This portends a lot of good things to come. It shows the seriousness of both arms of government and more importantly, it shows we are working together in the interest of the people of Edo state.”
Furthermore, Governor Obaseki gave the assurance that his administration will be targeting at least 95% implementation of the budget.
“The House is totally aligned with us and agrees with the principle of our budget, which is growth. This is taking a cue from what is happening at the centre. We have to invest in areas that will help us grow the economy, create jobs and improve the revenue of government,” he added.
On the issue of job creation, Obaseki said the provision from the budget is in line with his campaign promise to create 200,000 jobs in the next four years.
The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Kabiru Adjoto, also noted that the upward review was aimed at supporting the state government in its Sustainable Development Goals.
He said that parliament identified key areas of growth and made necessary adjustments in the agriculture and infrastructure sectors.
