Sanwo-Olu plans 100% implementation of N1.168tr budget

By Oziegbe Okoeki

The N1.168 trillion Lagos State Budget 2020 was on Tuesday signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the day after the House of Assembly passed the Appropriation Bill.

The budget is made up N451.5 billion Recurrent Expenditure and N711.0 billion Capital Expenditure.

The governor described the state’s biggest ever budget as a very audacious and assured that: “My colleagues and I are well-seated and they are fired-up to ensure that we perform on this budget, almost 100 per cent.

“We’re targeting to do well above 92 per cent and track it to 100 per cent. This is the only way the government can make the more than 20 million Lagosians happy.”

The governor said “the budget will be implemented responsibly, transparently and with accountability and will ensure a greater good for a greater number of people and will result in a better quality of life for residents.”

Read Also: Sanwo-Olu assures of better Lagos

Sanwo-Olu said: “Lagosians do not have a voice but we will implement the budget responsibly and at the end of the year, we will ease their lives. I am hopeful that 2020 will be prosperous.”

He thanked the Speaker and members of the Appropriation Committee for ensuring timely passage of the budget.

Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said: “We thank the governor for giving us a proposal that we only had to change few things, scrutinise the figures and the MDAs.

“Whatever we have proposed we need money for implementation.

Obasa urged members of the executive to block leakages, saying “we want 100 per cent implementation; I’m urging you all to rise up to your responsibility. I urge you to block leakages.”

The budget, which was presented on November 8, last year, has education and healthcare as top priorities.

With a proposed fiscal plan of N115 billion for public infrastructure, the governor said the entire state will be “a massive construction site” this year.

The governor unveiled his administration’s plan to accelerate the growth of the state’s economy by proposing aggressive investments in critical areas of priorities – physical infrastructure, environment, human capital and security.