March 08, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State Government has said that the state revenue as of the month of January 2023, recorded an increase to the tune of N48.5 billion, explaining that the income has helped the state government in several projects it is executing across the state.
Technical Adviser on Treasury and Accounts to Bayelsa State government, Mr Timipre Seipulo, disclosed this on Tuesday, during the state’s monthly transparency briefing, where he reeled out the monthly income and expenditure of the state for the month of November and December 2022, as well as January 2023.
According to him, the state government has spent over N75 billion on capital projects from November 2022 to January 2023.
He said the state government spent N24 billion, N25 billion and N26 billion on capital projects in November 2022, December 2022 and January 2023 respectively.
He disclosed that the money was spent on the ongoing Yenagoa-Oporoma road, the completion of the second phase of the Glory Drive, among others.
Seipulo also disclosed that donations for flood relief have continued to pour into the state coffers with N395 million in November, N1 million in December and N85 million in January this year.
He said the state government has continued to meet its other financial obligations such as payment of salaries to civil servants and appointees, pension and gratuities to retirees, as well as grants to state-owned tertiary institutions.
He said: “Inflows from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) have remained low with the bulk of the revenues accruing to the state coming from the 13 percent derivation.
“The figure of N17.77 billion posted as a closing balance for January shows that Bayelsa State may not be the poverty capital of Nigeria as is being touted in certain quarters”, he said.
In his brief remark, the commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ayibaina Duba, said the prosperity government, led by senator Douye Diri, will complete all the projects inherited from the previous administration and do more.
Duba said the present government will not just complete the ongoing projects, but will also initiate new ones. “The government will continue to judiciously use the state resources for the overall development of the state.”
