Mrs. Olubunmi Adelugba, Chairman of the Ekiti Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, has charged officials in the state Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to step up efforts to increase revenue in various establishments.
Adelugba made the call on Thursday at the Ekiti House of Assembly complex in Ado-Ekiti, during the defense and sensitization on the proposed Appropriation bill for 2022.
Adelugba, who represents Emure Constituency, emphasized the importance of government officials taking the affairs of their establishments seriously, as if it were their private businesses that must not fail.
The lawmaker criticized some civil servants for failing to show commitment to their jobs, despite efforts by the State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to encourage them through regular payment of salaries and other emoluments.
She also took the time to educate some government officials on how to transition from non-profit to profit-making organizations within the confines of the law.
The committee chairman stated that the legislative arm of government’s vision is to ensure the closure of loopholes in government spending and to keep MDAs on their toes in order to achieve the government’s goals and objectives.
She praised some board members and parastatal heads for exceeding expectations in terms of revenue generation as a means of supplementing government efforts.
According to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), the budget defense brought heads of various ministries, boards, and parastatals, or their representatives, to address legislators on key areas of need and challenges.
She highlighted that the government of Gov. Kayode Fayemi had regularly delivered an all-inclusive budget that had returned the state to the January to December budget cycle, to the benefit of all Ekiti people at home and abroad.
She commended the Assembly’s Speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, for his leadership style, as well as other MPs, for their collaboration in making the public hearing a reality.
Among those present were the Ekiti Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr Akin Oyebode, members of Ekiti traditional rulers, and the Coalition of Ekiti Civil Society Organizations (COECSO), among others.