…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
The rationale behind the unorthodox mode of governance in the State of Osun is deliberately with a view to rapidly transform the state economically and socially, the state Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro has disclosed.
Making this clarification in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Thursday while featuring on the guest forum of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the commissioner charged that “if we must develop as a nation, we must find local lasting solution to our peculiar problems.”
“We must endeavour to do things differently to change the scenario for the better. To take Nigeria to where it should be, the economy must be exposed and allowed to work,” he said.
In his presentation entitled “Improving Public Finance for Better Governance: The Example of State of Osun”, the Commissioner insisted that if the status quo in the society must be changed, while things must be done differently with particular focus on infrastructural development as a basis for economic growth.
To this end, he said, the State of Osun under Governor Rauf Aregbesola is focused on zero-based budgeting which promotes value for money in the area of physical infrastructure that is expected to lead to economic growth and development.
The Commissioner disclosed that the debt sustainability plan done by the state government had shown that a sum of N60billion is needed to turn round the State of Osun within 10 years. “Apart from Lagos State, we (Osun) are the only state that has done debt sustainability plan for 10 years,” he explained.
He declared: “If there must be development in Nigeria, it must come from the states and it would be through infrastructural development that will stimulate investments. And if we must develop as a nation, we must find local lasting solution to our peculiar problems. We must endeavour to do things differently to change the scenario for the better. To take Nigeria to where it should be, the economy must be exposed and allowed to work.”