“Dili’s 2024 budget lacks vision” – Bayelsa Group
A gaggle, Bayelsa Development Initiative (BDI), mentioned Governor Douye Diri’s 2024 budget is a rehash of previous paperwork and lacks imaginative and prescient and course to champion the event of the state.
BDI has reviewed the paperwork and finds that this budget is a repeat of previous budgets by which recurrent expenditures are considerably elevated to fulfill the huge wishes of the ruling class, to the detriment of the event and empowerment of the nation and its folks. He mentioned there was nothing to reward.
“The 2024 Budget is only a rehash of comparable previous paperwork with the identical subheadings. The solely distinction is that the previous numbers have been modified and adjusted to increased numbers. “It is not the result of deep thinking or serious research to reflect current realities and challenges,” BDI mentioned.
The budget has recurrent expenditure of 212.7 billion naira and capital expenditure of 176.6 billion naira. But the group, in a press release signed by its secretary Michael Sam Rodamini on Sunday, mentioned there was nothing the budget may do to defeat poverty, starvation and underdevelopment within the state.
BDI says Bayelsa is in pressing want of high quality capital tasks, particularly roads, bridges and water, and is asking for a budget to cut back the astronomically excessive authorities working prices included in Dili’s 2024 budget. he claimed.
BDI harassed that your complete budget of the Ministry of Water Resources is only one.7 billion Naira whereas the Governor’s Office has an enormous budget of 39.4 billion Naira and the Government House has an enormous budget of seven billion Naira.
“What this implies is that whereas the governor resides a debauched life shopping for high quality bottled water to quench his thirst, the plenty of Bayelsa are depending on polluted water our bodies to quench their thirst. This implies that they may proceed to groan in ache from water-borne ailments.
“This implies that the plenty of Bayelsa proceed to purchase water from distributors popularly known as ‘My Ruwa’. It means there isn’t any plan to undertake a lot-wanted water community tasks to attach houses to water pipes. This authorities shouldn’t be ready to do something that can profit the folks.”
BDI questioned what sort of work the Treasury is predicted to do for Bayelsa with an enormous fund of 60 billion Naira, one thing a severe authorities must be specializing in. The funding for the Ministry of Agriculture was solely 14 billion naira.
“This is evidence that the Dili government has no plans to develop the agricultural sector, which should play a key role in combating hunger to ensure food security, improve living standards and boost the economy. Bayelsa’s agricultural potential will remain untapped under this administration,” BDI mentioned.
The group mentioned Diri deliberate to spend N13.3 billion on home and worldwide journey, N650 million on authorized providers, N108 million on phone calls and N1.6 billion on snacks, whereas It was noticed that he had secured a meager sum of 6.5 million naira for the 980 million Naira for the Development Center, African University and 60 million Naira for bodily planning and growth.
The group additional acknowledged: “If you take a look at the budget, you will note that massive quantities of funds are allotted to repetitive sub-heads. About 12 billion naira for safety polls, regardless of the massive quantity of funds allotted to the governor’s workplace, There are additionally channels designed to channel our funds, equivalent to about 2.6 billion Naira for safety providers and a couple of.5 billion Naira for cleansing and fumigation.Private pockets.
“You will be surprised to find out that zero funds were voted for the Yenagoa New City project, which aims to expand the capital, build new housing and reduce the high cost of accommodation rentals in the state.”
Source: dailypost.ng