Fellow Kogites, welcome back from the holidays, I hope we have fully recovered from the enjoyment, partying and merry making. No matter how long the holiday lasted, we are back to face reality. I actually wished the problems facing our dear state would go on vacation too, but “them dey kampe”. One reason I am always excited about the
beginning of a new year is because it’s like a reset button has been clicked, and there is an opportunity to start afresh.
Whatever has transpired in our state in the past, including 2016 is gone for good and the year 2017 presents us the opportunity of a clean slate.
My peep in to the Kogi state 2017 proposal has rekindled one of my worst fears in George Santayana’s words “those who do not learn (from) history are doomed to repeat it”. The proposal is littered with wasteful expenditures that are not different from that of past administrations, so no matter how clean the slate is, running the state the way the budget is proposed will condemn us to the same verdict we have had all the years past.
I plead with all youths in the state who can read and write to please get a copy of this proposal, peruse and ask why some monies that have been stated have to be spent.
The most encouraging aspects of the Kogi state 2017 budget proposal are the recurrent revenue and capital receipts estimates. The estimate for internal revenue is N32.18bn compared to N13.05 for 2016, while estimate for capital receipts is N98.15bn as opposed to N36.87 estimated for 2016. This shows a deliberate effort on the part of government to shore up revenue and block leakages in the collection of IGR. So it worries me if they’ll put so much effort in pushing up revenue figures, and then end up spending on items that neutralizes the positive impact this increase should have.
Permit me to highlight some items in the expenditure proposal for the Secretary to the state government’s office:
1. FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITY N25M:
My people, I honestly do not know what this expense line means. All I can say is “there is God oooo”, the same office has a proposal of N124.2m for Executive council and security council expenses, and another N100m for security trust fund projects. The Governor’s office already has N8.35bn to spend on security, most likely the state is under threat by extra-terrestrial forces we cannot see.
2. CONSTRUCTION OF SSG’S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE AND LANDSCAPING N250M:
While I acknowledge that our dear SSG deserves a good residence, the timing for spending this N250m is not right. The N174bn proposed to be spent next year cannot solve all of Kogi’s problems, so every kobo matters and priority should be given to projects that directly impact the ailing lives of Kogi state indigenes.
3. STATE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION N150M:
Please we do not want any celebration, a broadcast by the state governor or even a press statement will do. No need to pay contractors to decorate the stadium, or invite Wizkid or Davido to come and sing.
They will end up celebrating more than we Kogites after being paid. Once more, I please urge the Governor and the Kogi state house of assembly to thoroughly screen and purge the 2017 budget proposal of all items that do not have direct bearing on the masses.
We really want to see this government fly in a new direction. Ultimately, we will be the beneficiaries.
– Kehinde Olorunfemi
okehinde24@gmail.com
