Ondo govt awards N41b capital projects contracts in nine months

The Ondo State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Emmanuel Igbasan, has said the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu administration awarded 704 capital projects valued at N41.99 billion between January and September.

Igbasan spoke yesterday at a town hall meeting with stakeholders from Ondo North Senatorial District at Ikare Akoko in Akoko Northeast Local Government Area.

The commissioner said the projects were sited in the three senatorial districts of the state.

He said they were not among the projects and programmes implemented through direct labour by ministries and extra-ministerial departments of the state government.

According to him, the projects show the determination of the state government to achieve greater percentage in the implementation of this year’s budget.

Igbasan said 347 projects valued at N29.89 billion are sited in the six local government areas that make up the senatorial district.

The commissioner said N5.89 billion had been paid to contractors handling projects in the district this year.

He added that the meeting was meant to engage people who are not in the public service for their inputs in preparing next year’s budget to make it a people-oriented one.

Igbasan said: “Following the signing of the state’s Fiscal Responsibility Bill into law in 2017, the inclusion of the inputs of the people in the yearly budget has become mandatory.

“Without any contradiction, budget ought to be a combined ideas and a product of collective contributions.

“It should be an essential tool that captures and reflects the values and priorities of the people of Ondo State.

“This year, our resolve is to engage even more people in the conversation about how we can work together to build a better future for our children and grandchildren.”