Budget Defense: : We Have Done Well, Ossai Tells Assembly Committee

*** Information Commissioner Says Adverts On Broadcast Houses Now Being MonitoredM

Delta State Commissioner for Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Chika Ossai, has said that the ministry achieved 28.76percent budget performance for its capital projects between January to October 2018.

Mr Ossai disclosed this when he led top officials of his ministry and Heads of parastatals under it to defend its 2019 proposed budget estimates before Hon Peter Uviejitobor committee on Lands, Survey and Urban Development.

The Commissioner said the sum of N1.4 Billion was approved for the Ministry in 2018 for capital projects and four hundred and N427.9 Million was released representing 28.7 percent.

Mr Ossai stated that the Ministry has proposed the sum of N1.5 Billion for capital projects in 2019 with N15 Million projected for land use layout and design for all government lands.

He disclosed that twenty million naira has been proposed for surveys for all government land, ten million naira for survey and demarcation of local government boundaries, eight hundred and eighty million naira for acquisition and compensation of acquired land and thirty million naira for compensation for the Delta State Independent Power Project site as well as two hundred and forty six million naira for the purchase of buildings.

Mr Ossai stated that the sum of four million naira was proposed for the Delta State Border Community Development Committee, five million naira for the Delta State Boundary Committee while three point five million naira was proposed for the Land Use Allocation Committee as well as two million naira for the Urban and Regional Planning Board.

While stressing that the Ministry was determined to live up to expectations in line with its mandate, the Lands Commissioner noted that five million naira was proposed for the removal of illegal structures, one million naira for National Council and other meetings, adding that the projected revenue for land regularizations was one hundred and fifty million naira and two billion naira for ground rent while processing of certificate of occupancy was six hundred million naira.

He said the Ministry would achieve more given the projections and modalities put in place for revenue generation stressing that the Committee should assist by appropriating more funds to the Ministry to achieve set goals.

The Chairman House Committee on Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Hon Peter Uviejitobor said the Committee took note of the areas the Ministry performed well and urged the Commissioner to do more in the areas that needed improvements.

The Lawmaker who represents Udu Constituency in the house noted that the Ministry utilised and prudently managed the approvals and releases made to it by the state government.

Hon Uviejitobor assured that the Committee would look into the 2019 estimates made by the Ministry in order for it to achieve more in the 2019 fiscal year.

In a related development, the State Commissioner for Information, Ogbueshi Patrick Ukah, has disclosed that the Ministry has engaged a media monitoring agency to monitor adverts on Delta Broadcasting Service, DBS Asaba and Warri.

Ogbueshi Ukah flanked by functioning Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Paul Osahor and other top officials in the ministry and parastatals under it including General Mangers DBS Warri and Asaba, Mr Tunde Omonode and Lady Evelyn Binite, disclosed this while addressing the Chairman and members of the Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Information during the 2019 budget defense of the ministry.

The Commissioner for Information, Ogbueshi Patrick Ukah, said the engagement of a media monitoring agency to monitor adverts in the two stations was the part of efforts by the ministry to boost revenue generation in the organizations.

He assured that there would be improved service delivery of the state owned media organisations as efforts have been put in place to ensure they deliver on their mandate of establishment.

The General Manager, DBS, Warri, Mr Tunde Omonode said the station had several competitors in Warri as many private station have emerged in the locality.

Mr Omonode highlighted the budget performance of the station in 2018 and it’s expectations in 2019, promising that DBS Warri would improve on its services based on modalities put in place.

The General Manager, DBS Asaba, Lady Evelyn Binitie said the main sources of revenue for the station were adverts and subvention adding that the television arm had been repositioned as it now transmits on terrestrial, star-times and metro digital.

She said the station now had steady power supply with BEDC 33kva line while efforts were on to reposition the radio arm, assuring that the station hopes to perform better in 2019 based on its projections.

The Deputy General Manager, Pointer Newspapers, Mr Emeka Ogwude stated the company had approved revenue estimate of seventy million naira between January and October 2018 but had thirty one million naira as the actual release.

Mr Ogwude said the company had proposed ninety five million naira as revenue for 2019 stressing that the advert earning rose from twenty point six million naira to twenty four million Naira between January and October 2018.

The Chairman House Committee on Information, Hon Owhefere who is also the Majority Leader of the House noted that DBS Asaba, Warri and the Pointer newspaper should improve on their services for the benefit of the society.

The Lawmaker pointed out the need for the organizations to have office in Lagos as it was administratively convenient, the suggestion which the Information Commissioner said efforts were on to have a bureau in Lagos and Abuja.

Hon Owhefere said the Committee would assist the Ministry and it’s parastatals to achieve set goals adding that staff of government owned media organisations should handle equipment with utmost care.

The Information Committee Chairman also stressed the need for steady maintenance of facilities that would enhance the working environment in the organizations.