The years of unrealistic and over ambitious budgets appear to be over in Cross River State, following the figures and development plans announced by Senator Bassey Otu on Thursday, as he presented the 2024 budget figure of about N250 billion, christened The People First, taken from his campaign slogan.
Apart from very high sounding budget names, the immediate past governor, Prof Ben Ayade was also known for high budgetary allocations. There were questions about their implementation. But Ayade had said his belief was in what he called intellectual money.
In 2020 for instance, Ayade’s budget was N1.1 trillion. The figure was even higher than those major oil producing states whose internal revenue base as well as federal allocations were far higher than what Cross River presented.
The next year, Ayade budgeted N278 billion, then N354billion in 2022 and last year, he announced a budget of N330 billion. It is doubtful if he was able to implement 50 per cent of the budgets. It was also difficult to access the budget documents.
On Thursday, Otu presented his first budget proposal to the state house of assembly for approval and announced plans to continue with some of Ayade’s projects and also give a facelift to the Obudu Ranch Resort which is already decaying.
He said “the upgrade of the facilities at the Obudu Ranch Resort shall be given utmost attention by the State Government in the 2024 budget. The state carnival Calabar and Festival which is adjudged as the biggest street party in Africa is currently undergoing re-structuring in terms of scope to embrace contemporary ideas in tourism. In 2024 budget, the aggressive marketing of the state diverse tourism offering shall equally be given priority attention.”
He also spoke on his plans for tourism generally, in the state, as well as how he plans to tackle issues of the environment, education and tax.
Hear him: “The carnival Calabar and festival shall in no distant time, become self-funding as obtained in other climes.
“The State government had already commenced the tuition free education programme for the Primary and post Primary Students. Government has also undertaken the payment of WAEC fee for all SS3 Students, as a way of removing financial impediment from the indigent students amongst us.
“Accreditation and re-accreditation of the State Tertiary Institutions shall be given priority attention. The State Scholarship Board shall be well funded to cater for the academic needs of our citizens. Building and renovation of schools shall be a continuous activity of the State Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
“There is also provision for the training and re-training of man power in Educational Sector to enhance teaching and learning. c. Health: Health care delivery will form an integral part of the State development agenda. To this end, all primary health centres are to be given relevant face lift and equipped to meet the health needs of our people. Access to quality health service in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the State shall be pursued with renewed vigour.
“Collaboration in the provision of rural health care with international donor agencies shall be given due attention. Our community health officers and care givers shall be given adequate training as a means of empowering them towards qualitative service 6 delivery. There is also provision for the upgrade of facilities in the State General Hospitals across the state: as well the Schools of Nursing in the State.
“These incentives are aimed at giving our people enhanced quality of life, increased live expectancy which translate to economic asset for the State Government. d. Environment: Sustainable exploitation of our abundant natural resources and nurture of the eco-system shall be the pre- occupation of the State government through its relevant agencies. Unrestricted forest exploitation and other forms of land degradation shall no longer be tolerated.
“The carbon sink with which our forest canopy is reputed to provide shall be protected at all cost. Already the State Forestry Commission been empowered to check the unwholesome activities of illegal wood loggers. The clean and green toga which the State was known for shall be brought back.
“The State Government in the 2024 budget has made adequate provision for the renovation and establishment of new green areas across the State. The monthly environmental sanitation exercise shall be brought back and enforced accordingly. e. Infrastructure: There is no gainsaying the fact that the provision of infrastructural facilities is the bedrock of any meaningful development. Roads, bridges, electricity, public transportation etc. are therefore given sufficient resource allocation in the 2024 budget so as to bridge the existing deficit in these utilities.”
