Abia’s 2023  Appropriation Bill designed to create infrastructure revolution-Govt

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Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor , Mr. Chinedu Ekeke

Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) to Abia State Governor, Mr. Chinedu Ekeke, says the state’s proposed 2024 Appropriation Bill, if passed as presented by the Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, would bring about massive infrastructure development.

Ekeke, in a chat with newsmen in Umuahia, described the budget as “beautiful” and “a type never seen in any state in Nigeria” because of the balance between Capital and Current Expenditures, saying the budget estimate has been designed to turn Abia into a huge construction site next year.

He said: “In governance, every of your plan is encapsulated in the budget. Whatever you want to do, even if you want to buy a sachet water, it has ro be captured for in the budget. 

“And if you have eyes for figures or numbers, what you see in the budget, instantly tells you the direction.

“The budget His Excellency has unveiled  is beautiful. Hopefully, the state House of Assembly will pass that. But it tells you what will be happening in this state in the next one year: massive infrastructural development. 

“The ones we are currently seing and people are excited about will actually be nothing compared to what will be happening in Abia State next year.

“Specifically, the balance between the Capital  and Current Expenditure is a type that has been seen in any state of this country, from inception.”

Ekeke’s comments are coming on the heels of the presentation of the state’s 2024 N567 billion Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly by Governor Alex Otti.

Presenting the bill on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Otti told the lawmakers that Abia would require N567, 240, 095, 972. 00 for its services in the 2024 fiscal year.

The 2024 budget estimate represents more than N400 billion increase over the 2023 estimate of N160.5 billion 

Presenting the Appropriation Bill christened the “Budget of New Beginning,” the Governor said “it targets the expansion of public infrastructure in line with his administration’s new development targets, scaling up access and quality service delivery in the social sector, with special focus on education and health where the administration has proposed to commit more than 20% and 15% of the aggregate budget spending respectively. 

Governor Otti disclosed that 84% of the total budget estimate  would be spent on capital projects while 16% would be committed to recurrent expenditure.

Of the proposed figure, the Governor said, government’s estimated total revenue is N166,077,717,058, including earnings from IGR channels, Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), grants from multilateral organisations and income from other revenue sources that would be available to the state government over the course of the accounting year.

Dr.  Otti further stated that in the 2024 fiscal year, the state proposes to commit 44.76% of the budget on the economic sector with the larger chunk of the resources going into works, (16.97%), land and housing (9.9%), agriculture (5.12%), and finance, (5.23%). 

 “We shall be committing major resources in the 2024 financial year to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of some of the most important roads along the major economic corridors of the state. “The budget has provided for completion of some of the projects we started in 2023, including Port Harcourt Road, Aba; Ossah Road, Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Abariba-Ohafia Road, Ozuabam-Ndi Okereke- Arochukwu Road, the dualisation of Umuikaa-Umuene-Omoba Road; dualisation of Owerrinta-Umuikaa Road, Nunya-Eluama-Isuikwuato Road, Onuimo-Abia Tower Road, amongst others as well as the commencement of new road projects in parts of the state,” the Governor said.

According to him: “On the basis of facts available to my office, we have done quite well in the implementation of the 2023 budget of N160.5 billion and the projection is that we would go well past the 60% budget implementation mark achieved in 2022. We have remained transparent and open in the presentation of our budget performance report and this has helped in giving the citizens a good understanding of how public resources that belong to them are being used.”

He pointed out that “all borrowing in the 2024 fiscal year would be committed strictly to capital development projects with direct impact on the economy of the state, especially roads, schools and medical facilities. The projection is that the impact of these projects on the general economy in the medium to long term would generate the sufficient returns that would enable the state meet her obligation to the creditors smoothly and ultimately pay off the loans in due course.”

Dr Otti assured that not a dime shall be borrowed to finance recurrent expenditure while maintaining that borrowing would be negotiated on terms that would be favourable to the State.

The Governor disclosed that his government shall be implementing a pay rise for the civil servants to reflect the present economic realities in the country.

 “This shall be implemented in the New Year and provision for that has been made in the 2024 budget. The government will continue to prioritise the welfare of its employees, even as we expect to see greater commitment from our civil servants who are major stakeholders in the implementation of our governance agenda,” he said.

Governor Otti expressed happiness over the good working relationship existing between the executive and the legislature in the State and urged the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, and members of the State House of Assembly to expedite action on passage of the Appropriation Bill.

Responding, the Speaker of Abia State House of Asembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, thanked the Governor for presenting a robust budget and expressing hope that it would enhance the Abia economy.

He assured that the House would favourably consider the bill and give it an accelerated passage.