Edo council boss presents 2024 budget, priorities education, primary health care

The executive Chairman of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, Hon. Marvellous Muhizu Zibiri has presented the 2024 budget tagged, "Budget of Resilience" on Monday.

Presenting the budget, Zibiri said that the document was carefully prepared to address the current social-economic condition of the people occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.

The 2024 budget totalling, 4,995,799,946.44 comprises 987,227,922.97 capital expenditure, 3,977,146,813.27 for recurrent expenditure while the sum of 4,995,799,946.44 is proposed for revenue.

He explained the preparation of the budget was painstaking taking into cognizance the need to strive towards ensuring the overall well-being of the people.

According to him, the sum of 136,350,000.00 representing 13% of the capital expenditure has been allocated for the provision of office furniture, purchase of official vehicles, Maintenance of existing official vehicles and Government Secretariat Building, rendering of logistic support to INEC, Security Agencies, and as well as funding of other activities necessary for the smooth and effective administration of the Local Government Area.

The sum 524,045,511.70 has been allocated to provide support for the people under the Economic Sector which encompasses Agriculture, Manufacturing, Rural Electrification, Commerce, Transportation, supplies.

Continuing, he said under the social sector, the sum 299,057,621.47 representing 31% of the capital expenditure has been allocated to cater for Education, Health, Information, Social Development, Sports, and Culture while 58,500,000.00 has been allocated for the promotion of basic education, through infrastructural development and provision of learning materials.

He said to cater for the health need of the people, a total sum of 81,500,000.00 has been allocated to drive a healthy society and preservation of life.

For regional development sector, which comprises of Water Resource and Water Supply, Environmental, Sewage and Drainage, Town and Country Planning and Community Development sub-sectors has the sum of 100,000,000.00 representing 23% of the capital expenditure allocated to it.

The sum of N51,000,000.00 has been allocated to this sub-sector to cater for environmental sanitation exercises, fumigation (Abattoirs, Markets, Local Government Secretariat, primary schools, etc), clearing of vegetation in public places, desilting of drains and evacuation debris of across the Local Government Area.

The sum of N51,000,000.00 has been allocated to this sub-sector to cater for environmental sanitation exercises, fumigation (Abattoirs, Markets, Local Government Secretariat, primary schools, etc), clearing of vegetation in public places, desilting of drains and evacuation debris of across the Local Government Area.

While appealing for a speedy consideration and passage of this budget estimate, Hon. Zibiri solicited for continuous cordial and harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the Legislative Arm in the Local Government to form a common front and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.