By Ruth Oginyi
Ebonyi State governor, Engr. David Umahi has presented a budget estimate of N178.1bn for the 2020 fiscal year to the State Assembly.
Surprisingly, the budget estimate passed first and second reading in the presence of the Governor shortly after the presentation.
Governor Umahi said the budget is “Budget of Growth, Development and Transformation”, and noted that the budget would enable the state government to complete ongoing infrastructure projects across the state especially an ongoing overhead bridge in the capital and bring more empowerment to youths and women.
The N178,136,634,975.38bn budget proposal for 2020 fiscal year is less than that of 2019 which was N188.401,913,868bn, christened “budget of fulfilment”.
A breakdown of the budget proposal indicates that N46,080,516,990.00bn representing 25.8% will be for recurrent expenditures while N132,056,117,985,.38% billion naira repreaenting 74.13% will go for capital expenditures.
Governor Umahi emphasized that spending on capital budget would be prioritized in favour of critical on-going projects across the state.
The budget proposal also shows that six critical sectors , ministry of Health, Education, Works, Security, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Human Capital Development and Commerce and Industry were given higher priority.
While Works ministry and Infrastructure for Concession will receive a total of N54,125,083,468.48 bn representing 30.38% of the total budget sum, ministry of Education will receive a total of N27,097,262,388.69 billion representing 15.21% of the total budget sum.
Also, N15,466,541,603.85bn representing 8.68% of the total budget is mapped out for health; and ministry of Human Capital Development and Commerce and Industry will jointly receive the sum of N8,016,088,324.70bilion representing 4.50% of the total budget for the year.
Agriculture sector is to receive N3,769,742,710.65bn representing 2.13% of the budget and Security to receive N2,675,500,000 representing 1.5% of the budget sum, making a total of N111,150,218,496.37) representing 62.40% of the budget sum allocated to the 6 critical sub-sectors.
The Governor during the presentation, maintained that the 2019 budget has only 60% implementation with the sum of N19.666,170,852.79 bilion remaining from the entire fund accrued to the state pause which would be carried over to 2020 budget.
He was hopeful that the 2020 budget estimate “will lift the economic development index of the state, consolidate on the gains of infrastructure and Human Capital Development and bring greater accomplishments in the transformation of this State.’
“Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, let me at this juncture state that the Divine Mandate under which we have made these accomplishments came by the power of God and so we fear no daunting challenges.”
In a remark, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly ,Hon. Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, commended the Governor for the high level of prudence he displayed in the management of the state’s resources which is just minimal and assured the him of the speedy passage of the budget.
