Speaker to Dickson: Listen to the cry of Bayelsans

Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker, Konbowei Friday Benson on Friday advised Governor Seriake Dickson to listen to the cry of the people of the state and pay more attention to their welfare in 2018.

The Speaker who gave the advice after receiving the 2018 Appropriation Bill of N295.203billion presented by Dickson to the Assembly in Yenagoa, urged the governor to address the issue of late payment of workers’ salaries and attendant harsh conditions of living.

Benson noted that the present economic hardship in the state could be resolved by prompt payment of salaries, adding that the people’s socio-economic condition was better in the early years of his administration.

The Speaker said, “Your Excellency, I must sincerely make this appeal.

In the coming year, we are all aware of what we are passing through today in the state. I wish that the cry of the people (is addressed).

“And I know the cry is not just on whether you are doing anything, you are even over-performing. But there is one cry: that is the late payment of salaries and late attendance to the projects that you have generously earmarked for the development of the state”.

The speaker, had also used the medium to commend the governor for his achievements and assured him that the 2018 budget estimates “will be well-attended to as usual”,

Earlier while presenting his budget speech titled, “Finishing Strong, and Development, Stability and Prosperity Volume 1”, Dickson had given a breakdown of the N295.203billion for the 2018 fiscal year and said that it would accord capital expenditure a priority.

He said that capital expenditure would gulp N146.578billion, personnel cost N48.15billion, overhead cost N42.57billion and consolidated fund N58.49billion.

For sectoral budgetary provisions, Dickson allocated N36.641billion to Works and Infrastructure, Education N22billion, Budget and Economic Planning N13.103billion, Housing N10billion, Health N8.5billion, Power N6.5billion, while Agriculture and Trade and Investment got N4billion each.

Also, Transport got N3billion, Environment N1.190billion, Lands and Survey N1.5billion, Sports Development N2.5billion, Information N2billion, Water Resources, N1.4billion, Local Government Administration N1.2billion, Tourism N2billion, Finance N1billion, Youth Development N2billion and Women Development N1.2billion, among others.

The governor, however, did not provide details of the implementation and performance of the 2017 budget of N243.2billion during his presentation of the 2018 budget.

He promised that though 2017 recorded serious challenges due to the drop in oil revenue allocation, his administration would consolidate on the gains it had made in the previous years in 2018.

The state’s 2018 budget proposal is about N50.003 billion more than the 2017 budget of N243.2billion.

Chris Eze, Yenagoa