Shammeh woos women with N2.3billion budget proposal

By Damilola Kushimo

Women and the poor are likely to benefit more from  the N2.3 billion 2021 budget proposed by the Isolo LCDA chairman, Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye Shammeh.

The department of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) was allocated

N30.5 million, about N8,6 million more than what went to Education in what is seen as a fiscal response to the increasing poverty in the neighbourhoods following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, a total sum of N2,301,848,956.61 was approved as budget for the 2020 fiscal year.

The  2021 budget includes N1,660,425,547.16 (69.5%) recurrent expenditure and  capital expenditure takes 30.5% amounting to N729,883,482.43.

According to the local council authority, the council was able to generate N1,071,428,050.40 in 2020, which represents 47 per cent of the N2,301,848,956.61 expected revenue from Federal Statutory Allocation, Values Added Tax (VAT), State Grant as well as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), bank loans and others.

Although, the council got more than expected from the IGR as it realised 136 per cent – N66,865,684.18 instead of N49,338,858.40 estimated to be realised despite the economic lockdown.

However, the council is trying to double its efforts in the 2021 fiscal year to meet up with its target on provision of infrastructures especial to cover up for those that could not be achieved in 2020.

In the budget for instance, Works,Housing and Infrastructure takes the highest budget allocation of N310,500,000.00 (both recurrent and capital expenditure with N25,000,000.00 for recurrent and N285,500,000.00 for capital); Environmental Sanitation and Waste Management gets N74,500,000.00; it is followed by Primary Healthcare sector which receives a sum of N42,200,000.00 while N38,791,739.84 is allocated to Agriculture, Rural & Social Development.

Education sector got  the least at N21,900,000.00 in the proposed 2021 budget.

To service the budget, the local government is targeting some source to generate revenue such as allocation from federal government, taxes, rates, local license fees and fines, earning from commercial undertakings and some other sources.

However, the council is not expecting any grant in the year 2021 as stated in the proposed budget nor any revenue from rent on properties, investment income and gain on disposal of assets.

Tagged “Budget of Legacy”, council chairman, Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye (Shammeh) said he plans to  provide infrastructures that would stand as legacy after office.

The chairman has less than four months in office and the budget may not be approved as early expected by the legislative arm due to the crisis in the House.

The forthcoming local government elections may also affect the execution of the budget as observed by political analysts.

Meanwhile, Shammeh noted that despite the adverse economic and social effect of the pandemic and the #EndSARS activities that limited the income generated by the council to N1,071,428,050 last year, the council was able to carry out infrastructural developmental activities.