Owoso Presents N5.4 Bn As Proposed 2023 Budget To Ethiope West Legislative Arm

As required by the enabling extant law, the Ethiope West Local Government Chairman, Rt. Hon. PST Nelson Oghenedoro Owoso on Tuesday, presented a total of Five billion, four hundred and ninety eight million, eighty one thousand, nine hundred and four naira, nine Kobo (N5,498,081,904.09) as 2023 budget proposal to the Legislative Arm of Ethiope West Local Government Council for ratification.

Presenting the 2023 budget proposal tagged: ” Budget of Consolidation ” at the Ethiope West Legislative Chamber, Oghara, headquarters of the Local Government, the Chairman said the 2023 fiscal budget was higher than the previous year by 32.8%.

He noted that the one billion, eight hundred and two million, one hundred and twenty-eight thousand, six hundred and forty two naira, seventy two Kobo (N1,802,128,642.72) increase in this year’s budget was to enable his administration execute more capital projects that would meet the yearnings and aspirations of the good people of the Local Government.

He also said the budgetary increase was a reflection of the prevailing economic realities evident in the upward trajectory in prices of goods and services in the country.

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The council boss disclosed that the “Budget of Consolidation” was designed to focus primarily on improvement of basic social services in the areas of education, health, youth and women empowerment, execution of people’s oriented projects, increased security coverage, sustenance of environmental protection policies and minimization of environmental health hazards to the barest minimum.

Analyzing the budget, the chairman said his administration was expected to fund the 2023 budget through the Share of Federal Allocation (FAAC); Government Share of VAT; 10% IGR ( State Allocation) and the SURE-P Fund respectively.

The council boss also reviewed the previous budget of three billion, six hundred and ninety five million, nine hundred and fifty three thousand two hundred and sixty one naira, thirty one Kobo (# 3,695,953,261.31) only, and told the lawmakers that its performance was good.

Hon. Owoso said though the revenues received were below projected sum, they were judiciously utilized to execute various people’s oriented projects across the local government.

He went further to highlight some of the projects executed through the SURE-P Funds and other Funds generated from the various revenue sources projected in the 2022 fiscal budget.

They include: installation of 500KVA, 11/0.415 transformer along Okuode-oguedion Road, Jesse; Renovation of a block of four classroom with an office at Erhivwohwo Primary School, Ugbomoja-Waterside, Jesse; rehabilitation, procurement/installation of Solar Power Water Scheme at Mosogar; Purchase of official vehicles for Security Patrol in the Local Government and renovation of a block of six classroom at Udurhie Primary, Oghareki.

Others are: Youth Empowerment through the Ethiope West Visible Entrepreneurship Skill Acquisition (EWVESA) Program; Purchase of official vehicles for the Vice-Chairman, Leader of the Legislative Arm, and the Secretary to the Local Government; Purchase of Refuse Truck; Acquisition of Local Government Dump Sites in Jesse, Mosogar and Oghara as well as concrete patching of some failed portions of Oghara Otorho-Aja Road and many others that could not be mentioned.

The budget copy was then presented to the Leader of the Ethiope West Legislative Arm, Rt Hon Chief Henry Eghwubare who assured the Chairman of its speedy passage.

Present during the budget presentation were: Hon Austine Atomre, Vice-Chairman; Hon Sunday Amori, Secretary to the Local Government; Mr Favour Ojariafe, Head of Personnel Management (HPM); Rev (Mrs) Maureen C. Eboka, Treasurer of the Local Government (TLG); Hon Chief Solomon Obareki, PDP LGA Chairman; Honourable Supervisors and other political appointees.