The Governor of Ogun State has said that no vanity project will feature in the state’s 2020 budget being compiled for presentation to the state House of Assembly.
The State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, gave the assurance yesterday when he declared open the 2020 treasury board meeting at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital.
He said: “Cognisance has been taken to eliminate white elephant projects or any such project that would boost the public perception of any political actor in the state.
“We must realise that our responsibilities to the people or our state go beyond channelling efforts towards the routine patterns for the use of public resources of those in power. We must device a system of strategic allocation of resources, which ensure that politics is secondary.
“Projects and programmes of the government in the first full budget that we are preparing would have impact on the people who are the real essence of government.”
The governor, who noted that public servants’ duties go beyond merely allocation of resources, but to programmes that make meaning to people’s lives, urged public servants to join him to devise ways of allocating resources to government policies, projects and programmes that have direct impact on the lives of the people and not those meant to message people’s ego.
“All the expenditure are going to be targeted at programmes and projects aimed at the continued development of our state and creating more prosperity for the people.
“In doing this, we will be achieving the mission of our administration as embodied in the building our future agenda,” he stated.
Abiodun said the meeting was the climax of the budget planning process, which involved sensitisation programme on the vision and focus of the government. as well as town hall meetings in the three senatorial districts.
“The process for the preparation of year 2020 budget started with a sensitisation programme on the vision and mission of government. It was followed with town hall meetings in the three senatorial districts,” he said.
These town hall meetings, he said, provided a veritable platform to meet with the people. It also provided an opportunity to achieve sustainable development goals, especially as it concerns inclusiveness, gender equality, peace, justice and partnership to achieve the goals.
“All of these are premised on the fact that our administration is an open one,” the governor noted.
He said the meeting was an opportunity to consolidate on the gains of democracy, adding that it would also allow his government to integrate plans of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to attain qualitative and comprehensive visible public expenditure profile.
The Governor, who lauded public servants for the effective implementation of the 2019 budget, attributing it to their commitment, professionalism, diligence and dedication, urged them not to rest on their oars as the attainment of the optimum welfare of the indigenes and those who have made the state their home, irrespective of their social status, religion or political affiliations, rest on them.
