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Obaseki Presents ‘Finishing Strong’ Budget Of N325.3bn To Edo Assembly

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growth, employment enablers, road infrastructure, health, education, others top priorities

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday, presented a N325.3bn budget to the Edo State House of Assembly, for the 2024 fiscal year.

Obaseki, while presenting the budget to the Assembly, said the budget is made up of N178 billion for Capital and N146 billion for Recurrent expenditure.

INFO DAILY reports that the 2024 budget is a slight increase from the N320bn budgeted for the year 2023.

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Obaseki said with the budget christened, ‘Budget Home Run: Finishing Strong,’ his government intends to, despite the global economic headwinds and attendant implications for the national economy, marshal resources to complete ongoing projects across the state in furtherance of government’s commitment to the wellbeing and prosperity of Edo state and sustain efforts to improve the ease of doing business, consolidate on key reform programmes and conclude all transactions needed to stimulate economic growth.

The governor noted that the total projected revenue for 2024 is N303 billion, consisting of N55billion statutory allocation, Value Added Tax (VAT) of N38billion; capital receipts of 40bn; IGR of N72 billion and N10 billion from grants, among others.

READ ALSO: Obaseki Decries Persistent Inflation, Dollarization Of Nigeria’s Economy, Urges Urgent Economic Policy Review, Others

He added that “the revenue estimates are based on a $65 per barrel benchmark for crude oil with an average daily production of 1.60m barrels per day as well as an increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to N72bn, which will be bolstered by reforms in revenue collection, property laws and land management reforms.”

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Obaseki said the focus areas for the 2024 fiscal year include growth and employment enablers such as the trailer and transit parks, ICT infrastructure, Benin Port projects, which will gulp N85bn; road and transport infrastructure, N62bn; health, N33bn; education, N32bn and buildings, physical planning and development control, N21bn.

Other areas include Social Welfare/Benefits N16bn; Environment, N5bn; Electricity, N7bn; Agriculture, N6bn and Youth, Social Development and Gender, N6bn.

According to him, the 2024 budget is informed by the need to build a resilient and sustainable foundation for the reforms, initiatives and programmes that were embarked on in the last seven years.

READ ALSO: Obaseki Charges Youths On Innovation, Harps On Digital Solutions

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The ultimate target is to promote economic expansion, technology, arts and culture, social inclusion and economic empowerment for Edo citizens, through sustained investments across various sectors of the economy necessary to drive growth and development. Public Private Partnership (PPP) will continue to dominate our investment initiatives in the New Year,” the governor added.

He stated, “Though resources are not at the optimum and our revenues are severely impacted by prevailing lag in the economy, we will sustain efforts to improve the ease of doing business, consolidate on other key reform programmes and conclude all transactions needed to stimulate economic growth.”

The governor further stated: “Mr. Speaker, as a subnational we have very little say on monetary policy but our aim is to stabilize our macro-economic environment through effective use of limited fiscal policy. This will enable businesses, investors and households plan and implement production, investment and consumption activities effectively within our state.

“The State’s fiscal policy is envisaged to control and enforce compliance with established spending limits to achieve a sound budgeting system, which includes aggregate fiscal discipline, allocative efficiency and effective spending that can propel Edo State’s economy to be among the top three most developed states in the country by 2050.”

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READ ALSO: Doctor Loses US Citizenship 61 Years After Living In America

According to him, “The year 2023 has been characterized by political and economic uncertainties, especially with the devaluation of the naira by almost 100 percent and the removal of fuel subsidy which led to a threefold increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).”

Receiving the 2024 budget proposal, Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Blessing Agbebaku assured the Governor that the legislative arm will continue to work harmoniously with the executive to ensure the socioeconomic growth and development of the State.

Hailing the governor for his developmental strides across all sectors of the State, the Speaker commended the governor for extending the free bus service across the State by three months.

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2023: Why INEC Servers Failed To Work – Peter Obi

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The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has explained why the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, servers failed to work during the 2023 presidential election.

He said the ‘establishment of criminality’ made the INEC servers not work during the last last general elections.

Obi stated this, while addressing the issues of the 2023 elections, including the IREV servers, in Canada during the weekend.

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READ ALSO: Underbridge Tenants: Lagos Govt Uncovers Identity Of Ring Leader

The Labour Party flagbearer in 2023 said people must intensify engagement with all the stakeholders to make the system work.

The former Anambra State governor explained that Amazon testified there were no glitches recorded globally on the day of the presidential election.

He said: “Where did we go wrong in the last election? We didn’t go wrong anywhere. We did the right things.

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“But as I can always tell people: when you bring a change, you fight all those who live off the old order. They don’t go away; they gang up. And don’t think it’s a straight race to remove an establishment.

READ ALSO: PDP Crisis: Why Party Members Are Resigning – Sule Lamido

“It’s a long-distance journey anywhere in the world. Go and check anywhere, whether you are looking at what happened in India, with Mandela in South Africa, or America. No change has happened overnight, it takes time.

“I urge all of you, if you really want change, we have just begun. We just have to continue from where we are.

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“Yes, there might be one or two things we will correct, those things we will correct. I assure you we are correcting them without naming them.It’s not going to be easy.”

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INC Vows To Internationalise Ijaw Struggle

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The Ijaw National Congress (INC) says time has come to internationalise the “Ijaw struggle” beyond rhetoric.

Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President, INC, said this in a communique of the 2024 edition of the Ijaw National Day celebration held in Bayelsa.

Okaba said that the vexatious factors that provoked grievances between the late Maj. Adaka Boro and the federal government in the improper management of the oil political economy of Nigeria, have remained unmitigated.

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He noted that the situation had worsened with its attendant impunity.

READ ALSO: Ijaw Not Biafra, Count Us Out Of Your Planned Attack Military, INC Warns IPOB

According to him, the Ijaw environment continues to bear the brunt of petroleum resources exploitation-related pollution without concomitant remediation or reparations of the heavily despoiled ecosystem.

Instead, Ijaw communities still face the adverse effects of uncontrollable spills, perennial flooding, ocean encroachment and so on,” he said.

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The INC president noted that at different forums, it had been made clear that the Ijaw agenda of self-determination was premised on resource and environmental justice.

“What all Ijaw people seek is for a fair, just and justifiable reward for our resources and sacrifices.

“The Ijaw Congress has articulated a set of prescient conditions for its continuous commitment to the Nigerian project and these include restoration of true federalism (fiscal federalism).

READ ALSO: Ijaw Group Tackles OPC, CSO Over Call For Review Of Tompolo’s Surveillance Contract

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“Devolution of power and repel of all obnoxious and discriminatory environmental and resource related laws (Land Use, PIA), as well as restoration of Ijaw Territory as non-balkanised, administrative and politically generated unit(s).

“This is for the reassurance and promotion of Ijaw developmental pursuits by creating at least two additional states, more local government areas and wards for the Ijaws.

“Remediation of our massively polluted and endangered environment and the enforcement of adherence to international environmental best practices by IOC’s operating in Ijaw territories,” he said.

Okaba also demanded for the relocation of the administrative headquarters of all oil companies and their subsidiaries to their operational bases in Ijaw territory and Niger Delta.

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READ ALSO: Ijaw Demand Environmental Clean-up Before IOCs Exit Niger Delta

He further called for proper funding and management of the Interventionist Agencies such as the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Niger Delta Development Commission.

We call for the promotion of modular refineries owned by our people.

“We also want a balance in appointment at the federal levels (the civil service, military and oil companies) as well as equitable distribution of critical infrastructure, to reflect the true principles of federal character.”

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He said it was against this backdrop that the theme of the 2024 Ijaw National Day “Re-Invigorating Our Resolve to take the Ijaw struggle for Self-determination beyond Rhetoric” was derived.

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Drake Gives Condition To Quit Music As Feud With Kendrick Lamar Thickens

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US rapper Drake has vowed to quit his music career if allegations regarding a secret daughter are substantiated.

The controversy started when rival artiste Kendrick Lamar, in his diss track ‘Meet The Grahams,’ levied accusations suggesting Drake’s involvement with an 11-year-old secret daughter.

Lamar branded the Canadian rapper a “deadbeat” for purportedly neglecting his paternal responsibilities

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Renowned American media personality Akademiks, however, disclosed rapper’s response to the allegations during a recent broadcast.

According to Akademiks, Drake denied the claims, going as far as promising to leave the music industry and work for Akademiks if any evidence of the alleged secret daughter emerged.

During his Saturday night show, Akademiks shared the rapper’s direct message, stating, “Drake hit [texted] me, he said, ‘Ak, if you or anybody can prove that I have an 11-year-old daughter, I’ll quit rapping and come work for you.’”

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