The Governor of Cross River State Sen Bassey Edet Otu, has on Thursday presented his first budget to the State House of Assembly christened “The People First.”
He said the main thrust of the new budget was to reduce poverty, create jobs and enhance growth by improving education, environment and healthcare.
For government administration and to meet development expenditures, Governor Otu proposed spending N250 billion to upgrade facilities at the Obudu Ranch Resort, re-structures state carnival Calabar to embrace contemporary ideas in tourism.
Effective from 2024, the budget will be spent for aggressive marketing of the state diverse tourism and to tackle issues of the environment, education and tax.
It contains some populist measures like Building and renovation of schools, provision for the training and re-training of man power in Educational Sector.
Other things to spend on in the 2024 budget proposal Include payment of WAEC fee for all SS3 Students, tuition free education programme for the Primary and post Primary Students and funding of the State Scholarship Board.
As he presented the budget, he also promised to equip all primary health centres to meet the health needs of the people, Access to quality health service in all the 18 LGAs of the State.
Otu also announced Accreditation and re-accreditation of the State Tertiary Institutions to be given priority attention, adding that collaboration in the provision of rural health care with international donor agencies shall be given due attention.
He also declared a series of provision for the renovation and establishment of new green areas across the State in the 2024 budget as well as provision for the upgrade of facilities in the State General Hospitals across the state and the Schools of Nursing.
In the budget, Community health officers and care givers shall be given adequate training to give people enhanced quality of life.
“Roads, bridges, electricity, public transportation etc. are therefore given sufficient resource allocation in the 2024 budget so as to bridge the existing deficit in these utilities,” he said.
Other things he declared to do with the budget, he said monthly environmental sanitation exercise shall be brought back and enforced accordingly, empowers State Forestry Commission to check the unwholesome activities of illegal wood loggers.
“The carbon sink with which our forest canopy is reputed to provide shall be protected at all cost.”