Barely a month after the presentation of the Ogun State 2022 Appropriation bill to the legislative arm by Governor Dapo Abiodun, the State House of Assembly today passed the exact figure of N350,735,149,739.57 contained in the budget with adjustments in some recurrent and or capital estimates of about 182 agencies.
The bill was titled: “H.B. No. 075/OG/2021-Year 2022 Appropriation Law-A Bill for a Law for the Appropriation of the Sum of One Hundred and Seventy-Two Billion, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Seven Million, Three and Eighty Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Five Naira, Twenty-One Kobo Only for Recurrent Expenditure, (Including the Sum of Nineteen Billion, Two Hundred and Twelve Million, Eight Hundred and Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty-Seven Naira, Ninety-Nine Kobo Only For Servicing of Pensions and Gratuities) and One Hundred and Seventy-Seven Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-Four Naira, Thirty-Six Kobo Only For Capital Expenditure For Service of Ogun State Government, Nigeria for the Financial Year Ending Thirty-First Day of December, Two Thousand And Twenty-Two”.
The passage of the Bill was consequent upon the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation by its Chairman, Hon. Olakunle Sobunkanla, who thereafter moved the motion for its adoption, seconded by his Vice, Ganiyu Oyedeji and supported by the whole House through a unanimous voice vote.
The appropriation bill was later read and adopted clause-by-clause by the Committee of the House presided by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo at a the plenary held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Assembly in the course of legislative process on the appropriation bill, carried out slight adjustments in the recurrent expenditures of about 144 agencies, just as the capital expenditures of 38 other agencies were equally adjusted.
The adjustments led to reduction in the total recurrent expenditure from the initial N172.997bn to N153.180bn resulting in N19.816bn decrease, while capital expenditure was increased from N177.737bn to N197.554bn giving an increment of N19.816bn
The motion for the third reading of the bill was moved by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, seconded by Hon. Oludaisi Elemide and supported by the Whole House, while the Clerk/ Head of Legislative Service, Mr. ‘Deji Adeyemo did the third reading of the bill before the members.
Responding, Speaker Oluomo directed that the clean copy of the bill be transmitted to Governor Abiodun for his assent, while seizing the occasion to commend his colleague-lawmakers, management and staff of the Assembly for their unrelenting efforts towards promoting good governance through the passage of people-oriented legislations.
In another development, a bill titled HB. No. 077/ OG/2021- Ogun State Board of Internal Revenue Law, 2021 has scaled first and second readings on the floor of the State House of Assembly with an assurance from members that when operational, it would aid efficiency, promote accountability and transparency as well as boost revenue generation in the State.
The bill seeks for “a law to provide for the Establishment of the Ogun State Board of Internal Revenue, Service and Administration; and collection of revenue due to the Government of the State and for matters related”, according the lawmakers who spoke during the debate on the second reading of the bill, noting that that it was high time the State Revenue Board became autonomous to further strengthen its operations.
The Assemblymen spoke in unison after the motion for the second reading was moved by Majority Leader, Sheriff Yusuf, seconded by Isaac Adams and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote at a plenary presided over by the Speaker Oluomo.
In their submissions, Olakunle Sobukanla, Isaac Adams, Abdul Bashir Oladunjoye, Ganiyu Oyedeji and Kemi Oduwole said the bill, would promote accountability and transparency, improve fund generation, encourage high productivity on the part of staffers, as well as bring in more development opportunities to the State through increased revenue generation .
Responding, the Speaker thanked his colleagues for their robust contributions, as therefore charged the bill to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for further legislative actions.
