ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, on Tuesday, 5 December, 2023, presented the budget for 2024 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly.
The budget christened ‘Budget of Disruptive Economic Growth’, is estimated at Five Hundred and twenty one Billion, five hundred and sixty one million three hundred and eighty six thousand Naira (₦521,561,386,000.00) and it’s structured to propell growth and bring about a paradigm shift in the way things are done in the State.
The budget proposal shows that the capital expenditure will take four hundred and fourteen billion, three hundred and thirty four million, one hundred and twenty thousand (₦414,334,120,000.00).
On the other hand, the recurrent expenditure is estimated at one hundred and seven billion, two hundred and twenty seven million, two hundred and sixty six thousand (₦107,227,266,000.00).
Meanwhile, the internally generated revenue will provide 252,789,000,000.00 of the estimated amount.
On sectoral breakdown, the Governo kept to his promise of giving the education sector over 30 per cent of the budget, which is one hundred thirty four billion, five hundred and eighty seven million, nine hundred and eighty two thousand, six hundred and forty seven Naira, seventy eight kobo (₦134,587,982,647.78) representing 33 percent of the budget.
Law and Justice got ₦1,225,643,498.00; regional: ₦1,144,550,000.00; social services: ₦182,149,510,648.00; Health: ₦21,777,421,000.00.
Infrastructure (Road construction/maintenance and rehabilitation of public buildings) will take ₦82,535,147,361.03, Water sector; ₦28,970,250,000.00 and Agriculture; ₦25,184,154,671.81.
According to Mbah, the budget “will go a long way in setting the pace for the achievement of our goal.”
Mbah while appreciating the Lawmakers for the expedited action given to the supplementary budget, appealed to them to give the current budget the same attention.
He also, maintained that his administration’s vision, remains to make Enugu be among the top three in terms of GDP and achieve zero poverty.
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His words, “Private sector investment is critical to the growth we seek to achieve, hence the necessary infrastructures such as roads, electricity that’s needed to drive this growth will be provided.
“We have taken the view that reliance on FAAC has not served us well till date and will not take us to the promised land, hence this budget seeks new revenue sources such as our natural resources.”
The Governor disclosed that 2023’s amended budget achieved the following:
The Recently launched the ultramodern water scheme at 9th mile which can prodice 70million litres, awarded contracts for the construction/rehabilitation/maintenance of various roads in the state such as the Enugu/airport/Eke Obinagu road of approximately 21km among others, xpanded the social register from 43,000 to 260,000 beneficiaries and commenced accumulation of 300 hectares of land which will be given to commercial farmers and a private firm is already carrying out a pilot scheme on cassava value chain.
Others are, Enugu State investment roundtable Summit which attracted top players in the economic sectors, constructing 260 smart model basic schools in the 260 wards and the pilot school at Owo is ready for commissioning, 260 type II health centres for in the 260 wards to catter for the health needs of the people, and to boost security, the introduction of DRS brought the crime rate to the barest minimum and the installation of CCTV is at an advanced stage.
In his commendations, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Uche Uwgu, commended Governor Mbah for fulfilling these Constitutional obligations
He assured the Governor that the 8th assembly will support his administration to achieve the set objectives, noting that the estimation is a record breaking one.
His words, “the budget size is unusually big and in tandem with your business unusual mantra and we have confidence in your capacity to deliver and we promise to give the budget a speedy consideration.”