By DADA AYOKHAI
The Edo State House of Assembly has like father Christmas who generously gives without bargaining increased the state budget.providing the governor with more funds than he originally requested.
The House raised the budget proposal, presented by the governor on December 6, from N605 bn with additional N72 billion.
Such a Father Christmas gesture comes as a surprise to observers who are concerned about how the state intends to generate additional revenue given the current poor state of the economy.
The House’s approval and passage of the budget follows the presentation of reports by its standing Committee on Appropriation, Budget and Project Monitoring.
Sunday Fada, chairman of the committee, who presented the report said the increase in the budgetary allocation was to enable the governor to carry out his five- points agenda.
Fada, PDP, representing Esan Central constituency said the committee approved and passed the sum for recurrent expenditure which now stands at N225 billion as against N223 billion proposed by the governor.
He added that the capital expenditure was shored from N381 billion to N N451 billion.
The House Committee on Supply also subjected the budget estimates to clause-by-clause consideration and subsequently, approved an increase from the earlier proposed sum of N605 billion to N676 billion.
Governor Okpebholo had, on December 10, 2024, presented the 2025 budget estimates of N605 billion tagged budget of “Renewed hope for a rising Edo” to the State House of Assembly for consideration.
