Budget performance increased by 4% in 2016 – Ambode

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday disclosed that the State’s budget performance for January to September increased by four percent performing at 69 percent as against 65 percent for the same period in 2015.

Speaking at the third Quarter 2016 Town Hall Meeting held in the Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Ambode said a total of N166.8billion has been spent on capital projects this year, a figure, which was more than double the N53.6billion spent for the same period last year.

He also said the State generated a total revenue of N97.3billion in the last quarter with an expenditure of expenditure of N110.2billion, noting that the cash reserve of the State has remained positive, adding that a total sum of N55billion was expended on capital expenditure in the last quarter.

According to him, the last quarter witnessed a lot of activities from the delivery of massive road infrastructure across the Local Governments in the State as well as the promulgation of the anti-Land Grabbing Law, aimed at making life easier for property owners and a boost in investment activities that will enhance the growth and development potentials in the State.

He expressed optimism that despite the recession, the State’s economy would remain on a strong and sound footing if capital expenditure spending is increased.

“In this quarter, we will concentrate more resources on capital projects. We will put money in the hands of our local contractors and through them stimulate and reflate the economy. Immediate payments will be made to contractors handling health sector and education sector projects within the next two weeks,” Ambode assured.

Some projects outlined for the next quarter include the transformation of the Yaba Bus Park with the provision of modern bus shelters replica of the ones erected at the Tafawa Balewa Square as well as completion of the road rehabilitation projects ongoing at Adetola Street and Brown Road in Aguda, Surulere as well as Olajuwon and Biney Streets in Yaba which would be completed before the end of the present quarter.

The Lagos State governor also said that the State Government would begin the disbursement of the N25 billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF) and other empowerment programmes initiated by his administration next week.

Ambode said that the funds for the programmes targeted to assist youths, artisans and the needy become self-reliant have been provided, hence beneficiaries would start getting support from the last quarter of the year.

He said: “We will roll out all our empowerment programmes immediately to assist all our youths, artisans and the needy. The funding for the N500m Lagos State Persons Living with Disability Fund has been provided and beneficiaries will start getting support from this quarter.”

On security, plans have been set in motion by the government to recruit at least 5,000 Neighbourhood Watchers with new recruits expected to earn at least N25, 000 monthly with other allowances.  The neighbourhood Safety Agency Bill which was signed into Law on August 15, 2016, was part of efforts to institutionalise and deepen community policing in the State.

“There is a law that has just been passed which is the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps Law, 2016 and in line with the resolution taken by the House of Assembly yesterday, we would go all out to make sure that this agency is activated and all our neighborhoods will be covered, and then centralize with the State Government with all the necessary equipment and resources to ensure that we establish what we call community policing and that is the way to go.

“We will rebrand Neighborhood Watchers and re-equip them to the level that each Neighborhood Watchers in all the Local Governments will have their vehicles and necessary equipment to complement security. We are also working on employing additional 5,000 Neighborhood Watchers in all our Local Governments and they will be paid by us, while the basic salary for the entrance level will be N25,000 per month,” the Governor said.