State Assembly invite MDAs to defend allocations

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday directed all its standing committees to earnestly work on the 2017 Budget proposal presented by Gov.

The House resolved that all its standing committees should invite relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government for the defence of their proposals.

The lawmakers took the decision having taken the first and second readings of the budget proposal.

Some of the lawmakers, who took turns to debate the components of the estimates, expressed satisfaction over the budget proposal.

Mr Bisi Yusuff, Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts (local), noted that it would address the challenges of unemployment.

Mr Gbolahan Yishawu, Chairman House Committee on Waterfront Infrastructures, also commended the spirit of the proposal, saying it was designed to empower the people.

Yishawu, however, urged the House to scrutinise road projects to be constructed under Public Private Partnership (PPP), and ensure they follow laid down rules.

The Majority Leader, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, urged various committees of the House to get all the necessary papers from the MDAs in order to assist in carrying out thorough verification of their proposals

The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the plenary, directed the committees to report back to the House committee on Budget and Economic Planning within two weeks.

Ambode had on Tuesday proposed N812.99 billion as the state’s budget for 2017, comprising recurrent expenditure of N300.53 billion and capital expenditure of N512.46billion.

Meanwhile, Obasa also spoke on reports in the media on the debt profile of the state, which was described as the highest among states in the country.

The speaker said, “The more wealthy you are, the more the ability to take loan. Lagos is rich and therefore has the ability to pay back the loans.”