…As Ikpeazu presents N147bn 2022 budget to Abia House of Assembly***

The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the 2022 Appropriation Bill of N 294.7 billion for Gov. Seyi Makinde’s assent.

Makinde had on Sept. 29 presented the Budget to the House for its passage.

The Bill had a recurrent expenditure of N139.5 billion and a capital expenditure of N155.2 billion with 91 items.

Mr. Akeem Mustapha, the Chairman of, House Committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation, presented the committee’s reports before the House.

Mustapha (PDP- Kajola State Constituency), presenting the reports, said that some State Ministries, Departments and Parastatal Agency (MDAs) performed below average in 2021 due to their inability to access funds to execute capital projects.

He said that MDAs such as the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Office of the Auditor-General of State and some others lacked utility and monitoring vehicles for adequate supervision and monitoring exercise.

According to him, the Governing Board of the College of Nursing and Midwifery has yet to be constituted, which he said, caused delays in approving promotion, conversion and confirmation of the appointment of staff of the college.

Mustapha said that the satellite campus of the College of Health Sciences and Technology, Okeho, was facing the inability to access funds to execute its capital projects including the construction of befitting structures and provision of major facilities that would enhance the standard of the College.

He urged the state government to wholistically reconsider engaging consultants in managing the affairs of tertiary institutions in the state.

Mustapha said that as a result of this the Governing Boards and management of various institutions had been deprived of taking decisions and could not spend a penny without the approval of consultants, even in case of emergencies.

The committee chairman said that the state government, through TESCOM, should expedite action toward releasing grants to the Public Secondary Schools for the smooth running of schools.

He also suggested that adequate monitoring and supervision should be carried out regularly to ensure that grants were judiciously expended.

The report was, however, adopted by the lawmakers at the plenary.

The Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin who presided at the sitting, directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the clean copy of the passed Budget to the Governor for his assent.

In another development, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia on Tuesday presented the N147,787, 781,300 billion 2022 budget with a resolve to stimulate economic recovery and industrialisation in the state.

Speaking during the presentation at the Abia House of Assembly, Umuahia, Ikpeazu said the figure represented a 10.81per cent increase from the N131,815,753,720 billion budget of 2021.

The governor said that the 2022 budget outlay of N147,787,781,300 billion was made up of 45% as recurrent expenditures and 55% as capital expenditures.

He said the theme of the budget is “Economic Recovery through Industrialisation and Inclusive Growth”, adding that the budget is aimed at building sustained socioeconomic growth in Abia.

Ikpeazu said: “the measures that would be taken to achieve the 2022 budget include: sustain and improve on investment in education, healthcare and social welfare;

“We will foster security of lives and property; promote good governance; rebuild, maintain and expand infrastructure in water, electricity and road networks.

“In 2022, we will strive to promote agriculture and food security through access to farm input and construction of access roads.

“We will ensure full operation of Enyimba Automated Shoe Factory and remodel key markets in Abia.”

Ikpeazu commended the state House of Assembly for the speedy passage of the 2021 Appropriation Bill into law saying it restored the state to the January-December fiscal year plan.

Responding, Chief Chinedum Orji, the Speaker of the Assembly, said that it would be committed to ensuring the passage of the 2022 Appropriation Bill into law within the shortest possible time.

“The presentation of the budget is as vital as its implementation and the House of Assembly will work assiduously to undertake its oversight functions to proper implementation of the budget,” Orji said.