The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has signed into law the 2021 budget of N329,029,043,669 naira amidst concern over funding.
Gov. Diri, who commended the leadership and members of the State House of Assembly for the expeditious passage of the 2021 appropriation bill presented to the lawmakers last month, said the quick consideration and passage showed the synergy between the executive and the legislative arm in the state.
He also noted that though he submitted before the House a sum of N290.2 billion appropriation Bill, the House of Assembly passed N329billion budget with an additional increase of over N39billion.
He said, “I laid before you on the 26th November an appropriation bill of N290,295, 465 423 and now you have used your own parameters to raise the figure to N329,029,043,669 naira in the interest of our people. This shows synergy between the executive and the legislative arms”.
“The year 2020 has been a challenging year. I am confident that the 2021 budget will address the infrastructural deficit we have faced in this outgoing year. The three senatorial roads will receive attention. The Igbogene -AIT outer ring road, the Gloryland drive and the internal roads in the State Capital are covered in this budget”.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, presented the appropriation bill for the Governor’s assent.
Reacting to the development, a former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) and immediate past commissioner for Youth Development, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, expressed concern over the issue of funding the signed Bayelsa state Budget of 329b for 2021.
According to him, the decision of the State House of Assembly to passed a bloated N329billion Budget may force the administration of Gov. Douye Diri to seek over N150 Billion in loans to fund the budget.
According to him, “I have a few issues with the amount approved and eventually signed into law. The executives submitted about 290b but the assembly instead of reducing it owing to the economic realities facing the world as a result of the pandemic decided to increase the budget to a whopping N329b. Where is bayelsa going to get this money?”
” They will argue that well it’s a budget and a budget is not actual figures but expected income, yes I agree but you expect income on practical investments you have done and not borrowing or budgeting on money your may not get. The reality is that the state internally generated revenue(IGR)is about 700m monthly and the federal allocation they claim is less than 10b now even if it’s 15b monthly it’s going to be about N180b at the end of 2021 , so are we going to borrow close to 150b to make up the 325b?”
” Lockdown in Nigeria 2021 is inevitable owing to the second wave of covid 19 and federal government has already initiated lockdown moves so the IGR will obviously reduce, other taxes that make up the federal allocation will drop so it’s impossible to get 15b monthly for 12months.
Don’t forget Bayelsa state has been existing on borrowing and with the current realities States will have to show what they used previous loans for to qualify for further loans to be approved by CBN and ministry of finance that’s if we can borrow at all, so pls I need to be educated on how we intend to fund this 2021 budget”.
“The assembly should have picked a few items that are achievable for the year 2021 and cut our coat according to available resources, right now bayelsans will hold the sen. Douye Diri administration on a 329B budget for 2021 whether he gets the money or not so why put your self under such avoidable pressure ?
