By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state yesterday presented a budget proposal of N221.129 billion for 2017 to the Ogun House of Assembly for approval with the increase of over N21 billion to 2016 budget. The governor who christened the bill ‘ budget of repositioning’ gave the lion’s share of N47 billion which is 21.28 per cent of the budget to affordable qualitative education followed by rural and Infrastructure development /employment generation which gulps N44.2 billion.

Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun

The Amosun-led administration has been consistent with giving the lion’s share to education since he assumed office five years ago.

Other cardinal programmes such as affordable Housing and Urban Renewal would get N28. 57 bn standing at 12.92% just as the sum of N11.610bn representing 5.2% would be allocated for agricultural production/ industrialisation .

The governor also proposed N28,574,625,000 which represents 12.9 percent to affordable housing and urban renewal while efficient Health Care Delivery would get N15.105 bn standing at 6.83%, while other sectors would be given the remaining N74.58 bn representing 33.7%.

While comparing the 2017 appropriation bill to 2016 budget which had N200.27bn, Amosun said the proposed 2017 budget represents an increase of 10.45 per cent.

Amosun promised to rely more on Internally Generated revenue to the tune of N114.34 representing 51.7 % to finance the budget.

The Governor noted other sources of funding the budget to include N41billion from federation account which represents 18.5% with total revenue standing at N155.3 billion representing 70.25%, while capital receipt was put at N 65.7 billion representing 29.7%.

Breaking down the 2017 estimates Amosun said N62.73bn representing 28.37% was earmarked for salaries and allowances, N 11.2bn representing 5% for pension and gratuities, while overhead would gulp N28. 89bn representing 13. 07%.

He noted that capital expenditure would take N118.3 bn representing 53.5 % of the total budget, while N102.8 billion would go for recurrent which represents 46.5% of the total budget.