From Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
As Governor Kayode Fayemi last week presented the 2020 Appropriation Bill for scrutiny, the Ekiti State House of Assembly has assured that the financial proposal will be thoroughly scrutinised by the lawmakers to meet the yearnings of the populace.
Fayemi had last week Friday presented N124.7 billion budget proposal before the legislators for consideration.
The House stated that it would not also shy away from its oversight function of ensuring strict implementation of the budget after passage and assent to bring economic prosperity in the next fiscal year .
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, who spoke with journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, said, the House won’t be hostile to the executive in the discharge of its legislative functions, but would comply strictly with financial guidelines, for Governor Fayemi to be able to deliver on his promises.
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“We are happy for the early submission of the appropriation bill. This should be the first time in the history of Ekiti when budget proposal will be laid before the assembly in November for our perusal.
“We will have enough time to study and ensure that all the platforms are attended to. The Governor has been able to articulate all the issues affecting the villages and that was what were put in the budget proposal in order of priority. The proposal is not strange to us, because we have been part of the process at the constituency level.
“We are familiar with the five pillars of the Fayemi-led government and our own legislative agenda will be presented to the public soon, the two must be in tandem and complement each other. The essence of government, whether judiciary, executive or legislature, is for the good of the people, I mean, good governance.
“What I can assure our people is that, this 2020 budget will consolidate on the 2019 and by the time it is implemented, Ekiti will move to the next level”, he said.
Afuye said the precarious and debilitating economy being experienced in Ekiti at present could be predicated on the alleged recklessness of the immediate past government, which he said nearly wrecked the economy of the state .
“Salary payments and those things that affect the people directly won’t be joked with in 2020, because the people’s welfare is our priority.
“Governor Fayemi has been able to restore orderliness in government through respect for the separation of powers and mutual respect among all the arms of government. The time when one arm subsumed the other arms of government had passed.
“Before the advent of this government, Ekiti was receiving budget support, Paris club refund and other intervention funds from federal government, despite salaries were not paid as and when due. To destroy is so easy but to build is difficult. But this government won’t fail the people”, Afuye assured.
