Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday signed the state’s 2011 budget totalling N112.7 billion with a firm commitment to even distribution of amenities in the state.

Comrade Oshiomhole while signing the 2011 budget said: “the challenge for the executive branch for which you have oversight function is to ensure that both the spirit and letter of this budget are truly translated. Let me assure the good people of Edo State that we would remain vigilant and careful in ensuring that we eliminate wastages in the system as much as possible, so that we can put resources where they would have the greatest impact on the greater number of people in the state.

“I want to assure the good people of Edo State that this budget, essentially designed to ensure that we complete the projects that we have started and where possible, we initiate new ones. With this instrument in place, I have no doubt in my mind that a number of projects would be completed”, he noted.

He commended the Speaker and members of the House of Assembly for the timely passage of the bill.

According to the Governor, “since my assumption of office, this is the first time that we are concluding and signing the budget into law within the first month of the year. It has not happened before. In my first year in office, the budget was passed towards the end of April and by that time, the rains had started and this had clear implications for capital projects. That under your leadership for the first time the House was able to pass the budget within January and complete all formalities for the budget to be signed into law by the end of January, I believe Mr Speaker, you have made history”.

Presenting the bill earlier, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Bright Omokhodion said the timely passage of the bill was to facilitate the smooth implementation of government policies and programmes.