South East
Abia To Spend N7.7 Billion On Roads
Abia State government is to accord priority to road construction and education this fiscal year. Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Chief Jones Udeogu, who made this known while presenting the breakdown of this year’s budget estimates on the floor of the State House of Assembly, disclosed that the state plans to spend N7.7Billion on construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges and drainages.
The amount represents 37 per cent of the N20.7 billion estimated capital expenditure of this year’s Appropriation Bill currently before the state House of Assembly.
Also, the government allocated Nl.7 billion to provision of infrastructure in the education industry.
If approved by the lawmakers, roads and education would get the lion shares in the economic and social sectors of the capital expenditure portfolio.
Governor Theodore Orji had on December 22, 2009, presented the N60.7 billion budget estimates christened, “People Oriented Budget” to the legislature. It is made up of N40 billion recurrent Expenditure and N20.7 billion capital expenditure.
The recurrent expenditure, according to Udeogu is made up of N18.8 billion for Overhead Costs, N13.1 for Personnel Costs; N3.5 billion for Debt Servicing, N2.6 billion for Consolidated Revenue Fund Charges and N2 billion for Stabilisation/Reserved Account.
Similarly, N8.9 is allocated to the Economic Sector of the Capital Expenditure which is divided into four areas. The Economic Sector is dedicated to promotion of industry and agriculture. The Social Sector committed to improving the living standard of the citizenry will gulp N6.5 billion while Regional Development and General Administration will get N2.8 billion and N6.3 billion respectively.
In the recurrent expenditure portfolio, the Ministry of Education has the biggest allocation of N7.3 billion, aside from the Office of the governor which is to receive N13 billion in the allocation.
The commissioner explained that major sources of the recurrent revenue include Statutory Allocation from Federation Account which will yield N37.2 (67 per cent), taxes expected to generate N9.3 billion (16.89 per cent), Value Added Tax expected to net N5 billion and 13 per cent Oil Derivation which will generate N3.9 billion.
Udeogu further explained that an expected inflow of N15.7 billion from the Recurrent Account which would be transferred to the Capital Account as well as N5.2 billion expected grants would be used to fund the capital projects.
He hinted that government has outlined strategies and policies aimed at effective implementation of the budget and plugging of all leakages in the financial system of the state.
He named the strategies to include introduction of Cash point system of payment whereby anybody paying any form of revenue does not pay cash to any revenue office but directly into a dedicated account in the banks; introduction of electronic payment of workers’ salaries and pensions to check ghost workers syndrome; auditing of staff of the parastatals and reforming the Sub-treasuries in the state as well as engaging consultants to collect government revenues from this month.
Responding, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief Agwu U. Agwu, said the House would do its best to give Abians a realistic budget.
The police in Ebonyi State say they have discovered the body of a yet to be identified middle-aged woman in a hotel room in Abakaliki, the state capital. The spokesperson of the police in the state, Loveth Odah, stated this yesterday.
She said the body has deep cuts on the chest and neck and has been deposited in a mortuary. According to the spokesman, it was discovered at Crown Garden Hotel located along the ever-busy Afikpo road in the capital city.
Mrs Odah, who said that the victim was found in the pool of her own blood, said the suspect had been identified as one Uchenna Awoke.
She said the hotel manager, Emmanuel Eze, the supervisor, and other workers had been taken to the police station for questioning and accused the hotel management of negligence.
“The manager of the hotel, the supervisor and other staff of the hotel were taken to the station for questioning and I must confess to you that the whole thing is negligence on the part of the hotel management. How can a guest be murdered in a hotel room and days after, the management is not aware of the incident.”
“We will investigate the matter properly and I assure you, the perpetrator of the act must be arrested and prosecuted. All we are asking is for the members of the public to avail the police of useful information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect.”
The Senate yesterday passed the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2018.
The proposed commission aims at enhancing the infrastructural development of the South East zone, which is grappling with huge ecological challenges.
It also seeks to act as a catalyst for the development of the commercial potential of the zone.
The proposed legislation requires the concurrence of the House of Representatives to become a bill of the National Assembly, and the President’s assent to become a law.
Senators Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) and Samuel Anyanwu (PDP-Imo) jointly sponsored the bill read in the Senate on June 22, 2016.
Its passage in the Red Chamber followed the presentation of the report of the Committee on Establishment and Public Service by its former Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa), on the floor of the Senate.
The bill, after Paulker’s presentation, was considered clause by clause by the committee of the whole, and amendments made by the lawmakers were read for the third time and eventually passed.
In his remarks, presiding Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, commended his colleagues for a job well done.
In his words, “Every morning we pray that God should give us the grace to do only those things that will promote the peace and unity of this country.
“I believe that we have shown today that we are committed to the unity of this country, and it is this unity that will give us faith in this country.
“This faith will in turn help us to pursue peace and progress,” he said.
Briefing newsmen after plenary, members the South East caucus of the Senate, led by Sen. Enhinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), thanked their colleagues and members of the committee for their efforts.
Abaribe, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, urged the President to sign the bill into law “as soon as we tidy it up and bring to him, in the interest of the unity and progress of Nigeria”.
“This will put to rest the long-drawn agitation in the South East, and the difficulties in the rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts that started at the end of the civil war.
“All things we see always will end up at the negotiating table, which is what we have done,” he said.
The lawmaker said he hoped the House of Representatives would give concurrence to the bill as it went in the Senate.
When established, the South East Development Commission would be the third zonal interventionist body in the country.
Bishop David Oyedepo, the Founder and Presideng Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, on Saturday predicted that nothing would disturb the peace of Nigeria and its story would change for the better in the year 2019.
Oyedepo made the declaration at the just concluded annual prophetic gathering of the Winners’ family, christened the “Dominion”, in a satellite telecast of the church.
In the telecast monitored in Abuja, the cleric also declared that 2019 would be a year of “I have Dominion”.
“Nothing will tamper with the peace of Nigeria; the story will change for the better in the name of Jesus.
“Nigeria shall not see bloodshed, the Prince of Peace will continue to dominate in Nigeria, in Africa and Nigeria is declared blessed.
“Anywhere you step, accident is forbidden; death will not come near you and our nation.
“Anything that is of grace in my life, I freely release upon you today.
“God has opened the year 2019 to us, celebrate Him because its our year of “I have Dominion,” he said.
The Bishop added that the year 2019 would be a year of humbling testimonies for Nigeria and pace-setting testimonies.
He further declared that 2019 would be a colourful year for the nation.
According to the cleric, as long as Jesus has the final say on the issues of Nigeria, it will experience greatness.
Oyedepo said that there would be no more cause of alarm in any area of the nation and its citizens.
He advised Christians in Nigeria to delight themselves in the spirit of servant-hood, adding that the spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood.
“The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood. As you keep rising on the ladder of leadership, you must retain our spirit of servant-hood, constantly working to add value to others and be kingdom minded,” he said.
According to him, dedication is at the root of dominion, saying: “Sow yourself as a seed by being totally dedicated to God and His Kingdom’’.
He told his congregation that sacrificial giving guarantees the meeting of all their needs.
“When you engage in taking care of the well-being of others, God is also committed to your well-being,” he explained. The cleric admonished Christians would engage in meeting the needs of the needy, every barrier on their path of destiny would be crushed.
“Nobody tampers with your life, your career, your family and goes away with it because you are promoted to God’s kingdom.
“God will stand for your defence in the day of trouble. Every sacrificial giver has a defence around him in the day of trouble always have that in mind,” he said.
He reminded his congregation that the Church is not a building; the Church is a people and the Redeemed of the Lord.