Bayelsa State government earmarks N6.991bn for infrastructure development in Education, Health sectors……

Bayelsa State government earmarks N6.991bn for infrastructure development in Education, Health sectors……

declares earning for month of September, October…….

defends evacuation of victims from Relief camps
By Olusoji Adebola

 Bayelsa state government has earmarked a sum of N6.991bn for infrastructural development in Education and Health sectors of the economy, putting its earnings for the months of September and October from the Federal Account Allocation at N25bn. Also, the State government has defended the evacuation of the flood victims from various Relief camps, arguing that since the flood water has receded in the affected communities, there is need for the people to go back and start their normal lives. 

Presenting the state income at the monthly transparency initiative press briefing the State governor, Hon Seriake Dickson commended the people that identified with the state; Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), government agencies and corporate organizations and individuals during its moment of grief, adding that the challenges before its administration is how to resettle the victims and rebuild the collapsed infrastructure now that the flood water has receded.

 According to him, now that the flood water has receded, the challenges before us is how to resettle the victims and rebuild the affected public buildings including schools and hospitals and, as well put in place necessary measures to prevent outbreak of epidemics. The flood dealt a devastating blow on the state, as thousands of people lost their means of livelihood. Farmlands were washed away, while public buildings including schools and hospital were submerged. Warning people against playing politics with the recent development in the state, the governor said his administration has approved the release of  N5.091bn for renovation and remodeling the building of model schools in the three senatorial districts. 

In his breakdown, the government has approved N1.735bn for model schools in Kaiama, Oporoma, Ekeremor, Brass, Ogbia, Toru-Orua and Otueke areas of the state, N1.948bn for renovation of classrooms and Headmasters Quarters. Also, N261.506m has been approved for building of Administrative and Hotel blocks at St. Judes Girls College, N954.885m for the construction of block of classrooms at Isaac Adaka Boro College of Education and N190.390m for the construction of classroom blocks at Teachers Training Institute, Sagbama.

 To facilitate the timely completion of the project, the Governor disclosed that contractors have been mobilized to sites with 40% of the contract sum. In addition, the Governor said a sum of N1.9bn has been approved for the construction of General Hospitals in all the local government areas of the state. On the state financial status, the State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jona in his breakdown of the State income and expenditure for the month of September declared N2 billion as inflow from statutory allocation for the month of September while the gross inflow stood at N12 billion for the same month including over 8 billion Naira from derivation and N532 million was recovered from value Added Tax. 

He announced that the state government got N311 million as refund from NNPC and N768 million was recovered as augmentation.On the refund of excess crude savings, John Jonah said, government got N509 million while a refund of N187 million was recovered from the revised 13 percent from the month of august 2008 to 2009 as the 20th deduction. Rear Admiral John Jonah noted that deductions amounted to N3 billion after FAAC deductions.Out of this figure he explained that Bond deductions stood at over N1 billion while foreign loans came up to N12 million.

On refund of excess crude savings, the Deputy Governor gave N509 million and refund of overpayment on revised 13 percent derivation indices from August 2008 to December 2009 as the 20thdeduction amounting to N187 million.He also noted that a commercial agricultural credit scheme obligation stood at N83 million.The Deputy Governor gave N86 million as refunds made for overpayment, while the Net inflow from FAAC after deductions amounted to N9 billion and IGR from the month of August came up to N479 million leaving a balance of N903 million.

According to him, the total fund available stood at N9 billion.On the outflow, the Deputy Governor said bank repayment gulped over N1 billion while Federal Inland Revenue Service deductions stood at N200 million.He explained that salaries of civil servants came up well over N3 billion, while that of political appointees was over N249 million.He noted that N1 billion was made as monthly overhead payments, while monthly standing approvals stood at N194 million with gratuity payment coming up to N250 million, totaling N6 billion.

Giving N26 billion as balance brought forward from the month of August 2012, the Deputy Governor stated that total funds available to  government as at 30th of September was N22 billion.On the month of October, John Jonah stated that, the state got N2 billion from the FAAC and derivation was N9 billion.According to him, VAT stood at N564 million, SURE- programme was N1 billion while NNPC refund came up to N311 million.

He said the gross inflow for the month of October was N13 billion, while a deduction of N3 billion was made, including bond deduction of over N1 billion.He said foreign loans recovery was N12 million, refund of domestic crude savings account was N509 million as well as refund of overpayment of derivation which stood at N187 million.The Deputy Governor gave over N3 billion as payment for civil servants’ salaries while N304 million went for salaries of political appointees.Monthly overhead payments, according to him came up to N1 billion with total funds available to government as at the end of October standing at N23 billion.