Date: 2019-10-11

The chairman Senate Committee on Health who is also the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Dr. Ibrahim Yahya Oloriegbe had expressed that the timeliness in presentation of the year 2020 budgets is a demonstration of present administration commitment to service delivery to the electorates.

Oloriegbe made the remark yesterday while speaking on the floor of the Senate during the plenary session where the year 2020 budgets presented the previous day by President Muhammadu Buhari took the center stage of the parliamentarians discussions.

Speaking on the budget, he commended the President on the timely presentation of the budget and inclusion of the 1% Basic Care Provision Fund, while also stating that the budget is actually an achievement of the 9th Assembly which he said is ever committed to serve the interest of the people.

In his words, "As the Senate President reiterated, we're committed that the window for budget defence is this October and November will be for further process in terms of Committee consolidation and appropriation and by December we should be back on our table for final processes and passage. We're committed to this because it's part of our commitments to the electorate and to the citizens of this country."

He further stater that, "If we're to get economic development and other things right, we need to have a budget or fiscal policy that is determinable and that can be ascertained that, this is when it's going to happen. The President had outlined various areas of interventions and they are critical as we can see allocations for security, Northeast where we have crisis and our people affected there. However, my bias is on health and I'm very pleased that the President has moved the Basic Care Provision Fund to a statutory allocation now; the 1% which is to be able to deliver basic health care to all Nigerians is now being assure meaning the President and his government is committed to providing primary health care to citizens of this country."

Further in the Senator's contributions which he themed "Health in wealth", he laid emphasis on the need to pay attention to water resources and sanitation which he said is an integral part of the health sector. He proposed each community should have access to clean water by the end of the 9th Assembly political year.

Also, he touched briefly on the issue of VAT increase saying it's a commendable innovation which he projected will help Nigeria greatly. He also urged the Federal Government to look into the private sectors to find ways and means of financing much needed infrastructures.

While drawing on his travel experiences, he emphasised on tourism as a means of economy diversification and source of revenue with immense advantages and opportunities for Nigeria. He staunchly supported a raised motion that proposed the establishment of *Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre* in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa state. He noted that the only thing lacking is commitment to finalise on what work has already started on the raised motion while rounding it up with the suggestion that the research centre could help ascertain the health implications of Oil dried well in Oil rich areas like Bayelsa and at the same time prefer possible solutions to prevent these health consequences.