Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday signed N176 Billion 2020 Budget of the State into law, the appropriation bill tagged “Budget of Prosperity” was signed at the banquet hall of the Government House, Lokoja, the state capital.
The bill which was presented to the Governor by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Mathew Kolawole was earlier this month presented to the House of Assembly.
While signing the budget, Governor Bello said his foremost gratitude was to the Almighty God and the people of Kogi State for coming out en mass to re-elect him as governor for another term of four years. He commended the support, diligent and timely approval of the appropriation bill by the State House of Assembly, adding “the signing of this year budget was most timely.”
According to the Governor: “The timely approval and passage of this budget by the House have further shown the commitment of the members to the development of the state. It also displays the cordial relationship that exists between the Executive and Legislative arm in Kogi State.
“I want to use this opportunity to commend the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly for his leadership role as well as the members of the House for their support and cooperation for the speedy passage of the appropriation bill”
The Governor said his administration will ensure that all loopholes in the generation of revenue are blocked, stating that the budget will make an impact in the lives of the people of Kogi State. He assured the people of the state of his administration’s readiness to implement the budget substantially in order to impact on the well being of the people of the state.
”We have no doubt that we can generate enough revenue to power the Budget Of Prosperity. We shall also ensure we partner with the private sector and development partners to ensure we bring nothing but prosperity to the people of Kogi State.
“Our partnership with the President Muhammadu Buhari – led Federal Government will also help our development plan for the state”.
Earlier, the Speaker Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Mathew Kolawole explained that the budget was passed after careful scrutinisation. He commended the governor for the cordial relationship that existed between the three arms of the government in the state.
He then assured the Governor that the House would continue to work with other arms of the Government to ensure development and progress in the state.