Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu says his administration is set to begin full implementation of the 2020 budget of N1.168 trillion.
He stated this, Sunday, at the 2020 annual thanksgiving service of the state government, held at the State House, Ikeja, with over a thousand people in attendance.
Sanwo-Olu, who read the 4th lesson at the thanksgiving service, taken from Philippians 4: 4-8, said the gathering was necessary to appreciate God and to seek his divine guidance to provide better governance in Lagos.
“We are gathered here to give praise and thanksgiving to the Almighty God, who has seen us through the past year, and made it possible for us to see the beginning of a new year and a new decade. It is indeed a wonderful day, we shall rejoice and be glad in it.”
The governor noted that the implementation of the 2020, is imperative because the government is committed to delivering on its six-pillar THEMES agenda.
“This year is very crucial for us as an administration, because it will be our first full year of governance, and we are keen to justify the confidence that the people of Lagos have reposed in us. This year also marks the beginning of a new decade, the third decade since democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999.
God has given us a new opportunity to refine our vision, redefine our priorities, and renew our energy for the journey ahead.
“As a government, we are determined and committed to the realisation of our vision for Greater Lagos. Our strategic plan is hinged on the six pillars of our T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.
As a mark of our commitment which is also shared by the other arms of government especially the legislature, the 2020 appropriation bill was passed in record time, and I had the privilege of signing it into law at the close of 2019. It therefore gladdens my heart that as I speak today, the budget for this year is ready for implementation,” said Sanwo-Olu.
The budget was signed into law on December 31, 2019 with the government saying it targets to achieve 90 percent performance.
The 2020 budget is about 34 percent higher than 2019 election-year budget which stood at N874 billion.
The budget, which has about N723.75 capital expenditure component, which represents 62 percent, and recurrent expenditure of N444.81 billion, representing 38 percent of the total budget size, was passed by the House of Assembly on Monday, December 30, 2019.
It is going be Sanwo-Olu’s first full budget, as the 2019 budget, though signed into effect by him, was prepared and presented to the state House of Assembly by his predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who exited government in May 2019.
The first lesson at thanksgiving service was read by wife of the governor, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu while the second lesson was taken by Ismay Akinbile-Yusuf, the state commissioner for home affairs.
