GOVERNOR Dapo Abiodun’s government has been challenged to evolve strategies towards the execution of more infrastructural development projects for rural communities and towns across the three Senatorial Districts in the state.
Members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Oil, Gas, Water Resources and Energy, led by Hon. Abdul Bashir Oladunjoye, made the call while appraising the 2020 budget performance of the Ogun State Ministry of Rural Development at the Assembly Complex, Oke-mosan, Abeokuta.
Oladunjoye sought for more robust programmes and intervention in the 20 Local Government areas to achieve sustainable turn-around in the rural economy through rural electrification, water supply and durable roads, calling for improved service delivery to enhance the standard of living of the people.
In his submissions, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Lekan Lukan, said the Ministry was conducting feasibility and on the spot assessment on the proposed rural roads for infrastructure upgrade across the State to determine the status of the rural roads in the communities to ascertain levels of technicality, materials and deployment of equipment to sites.
Explaining the basis of the N556m counterpart fund approved for construction and rehabilitation of some of the 171 advertised roads and 25 semi-urban roads in the state under RAAMP, the Permanent Secretary said a total of N27.71m was expended on capital projects within the period under review.
In a related development, the Chairmen, Transition Committee of Ado-Odo/Ota, Ifo and Ewekoro Local Government Councils, Wasiu Lawal, Fola Salami and Emmanuel Babayemi rendered the 2020 budget performance of their respective Local Government Councils before the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, led by Hon. Akeem Balogun.
Speaking on the Ado-Odo/Ota Council budget performance, Lawal said N44.58m was spent on capital projects, with N1.411bn recorded from Federation account, grants and independent revenue. His Ewekoro counterpart, Babayemi, submitted that capital projects gulped N14.772m, with N587.07m recorded from Federation Account, independent revenue and grants within the period under review.
On the budget performance of Ifo Local Government Council, Salami stated that a block of three classrooms at Ishashi, rehabilitation of seven-room Primary Health Centre at Maidan, amongst other projects, were carried out within the period.
He added that the council got N1.143bn from internally generated revenue and statutory allocation while N20.30m was expended on capital projects during the period under review.
Also, the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and State Water Corporation took their turns to defend their 2020 budget performance before the lawmakers.
