By Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi appeared set to ensure the safety of all residents with the use of Amotekun security outfit as the Ekiti State government is to spend a huge sum of N1.4 billion on this State Security Network codenamed ‘Amotekun Corps’ in 2021 fiscal year.
In the same year, government earmarked a total of N8 billion to social services, education, health, gender empowerment, social security and other pivotal sub-sectors critical to the growth of the state’s economy.
The Commissioner for Budget, Mr. Femi Ajayi, said this in Ado-Ekiti during the breakdown of the 2021 appropriation law with a budgetary provision of N109.666 billion.
Governor Kayode Fayemi had on December 23, 2020 assented to the budgetary provision christened “Budget of Recovery and Economic Restoration”, the comprising N58. 4 billion recurrent and N51.6 billion capital expenditures.
To fund the budget, Ajayi said a total of N29.6 billion is expected from the federation account, N8.4 billion as Internally Generated revenue, N4.5 billion from tertiary institutions and other sundry sources.
The Commissioner stated that the budget was tailored towards resetting the economy to rise to COVID-19 challenge and open a new vista in the fight against poverty, engendering of industrial growth and agribusiness.
He said: “Following the incessant security challenges which include kidnapping, herders/farmers clashes, robberies in the country, to ensure the security of lives and properties, Governor Kayode Fayemi inaugurated the Ekiti State Security Trust Fund coined “Amotekun in collaboration with other South-Western States on 19th October, 2020.
“A sum of N1,444 billion has been earmarked as capital allocation for Amotekun Corps. For procurement of Drones for surveillance, a sum of N550million has been earmarked while a total of 320 million will be spent on safety city project and the Ekiti State Security Trust Fund will gulp a sum of N55 million”.
He said the sum of N2.4 billion had been budgeted to start off the Bamidele Olumilua University of Science and Technology while a total of N677 million was earmarked for the school of Commercial Agriculture, Isan-Ekiti.