By Ita Williams
Governor Ben Ayade has presented N330 billion budget to the State House of Assembly for the 2023 fiscal year.
The Governor said the budget, which he christened ‘Budget of Quantum Infinitum,’ would have N130 billion as recurrent expenditures while capital expenditures would gulp N200 billion.
He said, “N130 billion recurrent expenditures, which represents 31 percent of the budget, would be used to settle workers’ salaries, gratuities and other needs of government, while capital expenditures of N200 billion, which represents 61 percent, would be channeled for outstanding projects embarked upon by this administration.”
Governor Ayade explained further that the appropriation bill, which he said is citizen-oriented, would seek to add meaning to the life of an average citizen.
He said the government will embark on massive recruitment to replace the current workforce since 85 percent of them would be retiring next year.
“There is a need for massive recruitment now so that the new people can understand those who are leaving.
“By early next year, about 85 percent of the workforce in the Cross River State civil service will retire from service, so there is an urgent need for massive recruitment, the governor stressed.
Ayade, while maintaining that his government would use the remaining months of his administration to focus strictly on Agro industrialisation drive, decried inability of the federal government to support key projects like the super highway and the proposed Bakassi deep seaport.
He said, “The nation has failed us, upon the abundant human and natural resources which the country is endowed with, we still have a long way to go, the problem of the country is madness, we must therefore arise and build a nation of our dream.”
