2018 Budget Will Be Passed Anytime Soon-Osun Finance Commissioner

The Osun State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, on Monday said that the government of the state has done well in the area of budget preparation and implementation.

Hon Bola Oyebamiji

Oyebamiji made this known while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Osun state council, held at the press Centre, Osogbo.

Oyebamiji who hinted that the 2018 budget would be passed anytime soon, said Governor Rauf Aregbesola has done well in the area of budget preparation and implementation.

He further explained that the state’s annual budget usually emanates from popular opinion.

Represented by Dr. Olawole Tijani, Senior Special Adviser, Finance to Osun state governor, Oyebamiji said the state: “followed the bottom-top approach religiously through the State’s Ministry of Budget and Planning led by a seasoned Commissioner when preparing our budget.

“We have also made it a point of duty to make the State’s annual budget public online and offline on-demand. It may interest you to know that our 2017 budget recorded more than 42% in performance and the 2018 budget will soon become law after rigorous scrutiny by the people’s parliament.”

Commenting on the theme of the week, “Budget Implementation: Role of the Media”, the chairman of the occasion, the Agbaakin of Ibadanland, Oloye Lekan Alabi, said media practitioners deserve a role in budget planning, implementation and monitoring at local, state and federal levels.

Alabi identified creative and stable minded professionals as essential tools for national development, saying it behoves on journalists to be savvy in finance, budgeting, auditing and other relevant fields to be able to put government on its toes with a view to ensuring that budget proposals are not just in line with the needs of the people, but to be seen to be well implemented.

Before formally declaring the event open, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by Barrister Yomi Obaditan, advised newsmen to embrace quality control mechanism to rid the profession of quacks.

The governor noted that journalists have critical roles to play, but lamented that they are suffering due largely to poor remuneration and condition of service.

Describing journalists as strong and dependable ally in nation building, Aregbesola enjoined members of NUJ in the state to let the intelligent appraisal of the society translates to development framework for governments to work with at all levels.