Tag: spends

The Ogun State Government has spent about N3 billion on projects and programmes aimed at attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations (UN).

The Special Adviser to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on MDGs, Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello, said the amount was spent on health, education and sanitation schemes.

She said half of the money was provided by the Federal Government.

Speaking in Abeokuta, the state capital, Mrs. Abiola-Costello said the projects implemented include the construction of sanitation facilities in selected primary schools and Primary Health Centres (PHCs), construction of solar-powered boreholes and the distribution of mosquito insecticide nets through PHCs across the state.

Others are the equipping of PHCs as well as the training of PHC and local government workers and state planning officers.

The MDGs, she explained, refer to the eight goals aimed at alleviating poverty.

They were set by the UN and agreed to by 190 countries, including Nigeria, in 2000.

To meet the goals, she said the Federal Government initiated the Conditional Grant Scheme, through which funds secured from the debt relief granted to Nigeria by the Paris Club in 2005 are channelled to collaborating states and local governments.

On how the eight goals are being pursued in Ogun State, Mrs. Abiola-Costello said in the health sector, the government has focused on goals four, five and six, which are reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

On education, she said the government is successfully implementing the Universal Basic Education (UBE), which is goal two, while its efforts at ensuring environmental sustainability is in line with goal seven, which focuses on sanitation.

An innovation by the state government, she added, is the use of Conditional Cash Transfers to motivate poor expectant mothers to access the health facilities for ante-natal care under a scheme called Gbomoro.

Mrs. Abiola-Costello said the impact of the project, targeted at 5,000 expectant mothers, is already being felt.

She said: “On March 26, just before the 1,000 days to the 2015 target date set for the attainment of the MDGs, a poor woman in Abeokuta South Local Government was delivered of a baby girl through caesarian section,which was paid for through this scheme. Such was the gratitude of the parents that the baby was named Ibikunle, after the governor.

“This story illustrates effectively the progress Ogun State is making toward fulfilling the MDGs. Ogun State is surely putting the people first.”

Ebonyi State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development Timothy Odaah, has said the state government has spent over N12billion on the repair of federal roads.

This followed the dilapidated condition of the roads, which has turned them into death traps, he said.

The commissioner spoke in Abakaliki, the state capital, when he gave a breakdown of this year’s budget.

Of the amount, the commissioner said, N1billion had been refunded to the state.

He said the state government petitioned the Federal Government on the need to refund about N11.9 billion it owed the state.

The commissioner said only N1billion had been repaid, meaning that the Federal Government acknowledged the balance.

On the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Odaah said the state would achieve a projection of over N8 billion, as stipulated in this year’s budget.

The commissioner explained that the introduction of the e-revenue system would enable the state to realise its estimated revenue target this year.

He said: “The projected IGR is N8,727,984,400, compared to last year’s figure of N8,134,250,030. This gives 7.3 per cent above last year’s projected revenue. The reason for this increase is the ongoing e-payment solution and the introduction of the e-revenue system in the state. The introduction of e-revenue system will lead to efficient data base for effective revenue collection and monitoring. These will enhance the IGR to hit the projected revenue of N8,727,984,400 or 7.3 per cent of the total revenue.”

Odaah added that the budget would be funded through some major sources, including the savings that were carried forward, that is N5 billion, representing 4.79 per cent of the IGR; N8.72 billion, representing 8.36 per cent; Statutory Allocation of N39.16, representing 37.52 per cent and Capital Receipts of 51.49 billion, representing 49.33 per cent.

According to him, this year’s budget estimate of N104,374,364,400 is higher than last year’s by 20 per cent.

He said: “The total budget for 2013 fiscal year is N104,374,364,400.

This is 20 per cent higher than the 2012 budget of N86,986,068,160. This is also the highest so far in the history of Ebonyi state.

The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, yesterday inaugurated 32 motorised boreholes built at N73.6 million by a female member of the House of Representatives, Hajiya Aisha Dahiru Ahmed.

The member represents Yola North/Yola South and Girei Constituency.

The minister, who inaugurated some of the boreholes in Gokra in Girei Local Government Area, said the boreholes would assist in eradicating some water-borne diseases in the area.

Ochekpe said: “This is a good example of service to one’s constituency and community. I wish to appeal to other elected political office holders to emulate Hajia Aisha’s efforts at complementing the present administration’s policy to provide social amenities to Nigerians.

“With these boreholes, many girls in the rural areas who could not continue with their education as a result of searching for water for their parents can now return to classes. Also women devoting more time looking for water than concentrating on their businesses could now heave a sigh of relief.

“Hajia Aisha is a political mentor to our young women, she proved that if women are more in leadership position the welfare of the people and the economy of the country will improve fast and the electorate will appreciate democracy.”

Hajiya Aisha said the construction of the 32 solar powered boreholes in al the wards in her constituency was her personal efforts to complement the government of Adamawa State under Governor Murtala Nyako, to provide dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

She added: “Your Excellency this is part of my personal contributions to the efforts of your administration at improving the living condition of our people.

“The provision of potable water to families will surely reduce incidence of water-borne diseases tremendously and indeed health challenges considerably.

She disclosed that she spent N73.6m on the 32 motorized solar powered boreholes with 22,500 litres capacity steel tanks in each of the wards in the three councils in her constituency.

She pleaded with the benefiting communities to “see the projects as their personal property and protect the boreholes for the interest of their families.

Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has given N10million each to the 35 mission secondary schools he visited in the last three days.

The schools are among those his administration returned to the missions in fulfillment of his campaign promise.

He started the inspection of the schools on Sunday.

The governor tasted the meals the students prepared and inspected the facilities.

Obi said the N10million cheque was part of the N20million his administration budgeted for rebuilding the schools this year.

Among the schools he visited by Obi are: Uli High School, Uli; Girls’ Secondary School, Uli; Girls’ Secondary School, Mbosi; Mother Paulina Ofia Secondary School, Azia; Girls’ Secondary School, Ozubulu; Boys’ Secondary School, Oraifite and Girls’ Secondary School, Nnewi.

Others are: Urban Boys’ Secondary School, Onitsha; Mater Amablis Secondary School, Umuoji; Boys’ Secondary School, Alor; Boys’ Secondary School, Ogidi; Girls’ Secondary School, Umudioka and Blossom Nursery/Primary School, Ngozika Housing Estate.

THE Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has assured residents of more people-oriented policies and programmes.

He spoke in Ilesa on Saturday during his administration’s monthly exercise, “Walk-to-Live”.

Last Saturday’s edition marked the one year anniversary of the programme.

Ilesa went agog when the governor; his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoy-Tomori and other top government officials arrived in the ancient city.

People lined the streets of the ancient town to catch a glimpse of the governor.

Primary and secondary school pupils, adorned in their various uniforms, came out, waving the National flag and that of the state.

Nollywood and football stars from neighbouring states, including Oyo and Lagos, graced the occasion.

Shortly after the exercise, in a live radio broadcast on Gold FM, Aregbesola reiterated his administration’s commitment towards executing the people-oriented programmes of his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

He said his administration’s policies and programmes were designed to benefit the greatest number of people.

Aregbesola said his administration has spent over N424 million on primary schools’ grants and examination fees in two years, “as opposed to the negligible N64 million spent by the previous government in seven years”.

He said: “The figures in the education sector speak volumes of our efforts at upgrading the standard, as well as quality of education, and that is in primary schools alone.

“We replicated the same commitment in secondary schools, polytechnic and the state university. We are doing this, mindful of the fact that other sectors need our attention. So there is massive road construction going on across the state.

“Agriculture is receiving its deserved attention, so that the state can be self-sufficient in food production. Health, environment, sports, the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) and the monthly stipend to the elderly, called the Agba Osun, are some of the numerous people-oriented programmes of this administration.”

He said these feats were achieved with the people’s support and pledged that that things would get better in the next two years.

Sokoto State government through its Information Communication Technology (ICT) unit, has rolled out a plan for the pilot programme of one laptop per child worth N46 million for primary and secondary schools.

The pilot programme is expected to cover five schools each with 100 laptops.

Speaking to reporters on the development, Special Adviser to the Governor on ICT Alhaji Nasiru Zarumai said the project was in tune with the globalisation initiative to fast-track computer knowledge among the citizens.

He said:”We want to ensure and facilitate basic computer training for the young and those in the civil service.

“It will enhance and effectively simplify efficiency and productivity in system operations and guarantee quality of service,” he said.

According to Zarumai, arrangements has reached advanced stage for the expansion and establishment of a comprehensive IT and software laboratory for home-made applications, especially in managing hospital services.

“Already, we have domesticated an existing data base centre for the state civil service with full capacity to guide against multiple enrolment in the state service and check the issue of ghost workers as well as payments.”

He said additional resource centres would be provided as a solution to ensuring productivity. Currently, 30 of our engineers and scientists are on two weeks training as approved by the National Information Technology Development Agency.

“We have mobilised modern digital IT facilities to support our course”, he said.