By Ogude Samuel(Warri)
Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has said, the state government would strive to implement capital projects embedded in the 2023 Budget as well as endeavour to complete ongoing projects before the end of his tenure. The Governor stated this when he signed the 2023 Appropriation Bill which amounts to N571.6bn on Friday at Asaba the state capital.
The Budget which is the last to be signed by Okowa as Governor of the state, comprises N235.5 billion for recurrent expenditure and N336.1billion as capital expenditure.
The Governor also signed and assented to nine other Bills – The Delta State Manufacturing and Use of Cotonou Boats Bill, 2022; Delta State Public Finance Management Bill, 2022; Delta State HIV/AIDs Anti-discrimination, Prevention and Protection Bill, 2022; Delta State Waterways Tax, Control and Licensing of Boats (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2022.
Others are Delta State Forfeiture of Property Bill, 2022; Delta State Maternal and Prenatal Deaths Surveillance and Response Bill, 2020; Delta State Passenger Welfare Scheme Repeal Bill, 2022; Delta State Administrative Procedure Bill, 2022 and the Delta State Transportation Data Management Bill, 2022.
Governor Okowa therefore commended the Delta State House of Assembly for its cooperation over the years saying, his administration could not have achieved much it did without the strong support of the Assembly in particular and Deltans in general.
He said:”To have found time to work through these bills in spite of the electoral campaigns shows that you have stayed committed to our people who voted you into office. We will continue to remember you in the course of history because a lot has been done over the past seven and half years during which we have truly impacted on our people”.
Governor Okowa added:” We could have done better if we had a better security because we need a secured country for us to be able to impact more meaningfully to the people. But under the circumstances, we have found ourselves working with our people we have delivered the dividends of democracy to the best of our ability”.
Speaking further, Governor Okowa said, until May 28 2023, the government will remain active just as he said, it would continue to improve on the lives of the people especially the youths by way of making them get entrepreneurial skills that would make them self-reliant adding, they would contribute to the socio-economic development of the state.
Earlier in the Bills’ presentation, the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sherrif Oborevwori, said that the Bills went through all legislative process before being passed and therefore expressed appreciation to the Governor and members of the House for their support and cooperation for the years he served as Speaker, Delta House of Assembly.
Rt. Hon. Oborevwori said:”I wish to express our profound gratitude to you for the cordial working relationship and synergy existing between the House and the Executive. This has not only brought stability to the House but also prosperity to Deltans and development across the State”.
He said God has been gracious to Delta State in general and the House of Assembly in particular for the existence of peace and harmony which have resulted in the excellent working relationship among the members over the years.