The call for accountability by Senator Ita Enang
was put paid to last Friday during the presentation of the 2018 State
Appropriation Bill to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly by Governor Udom
Emmanuel. Hopefully members of the public hooked on to the Live broadcast by
different media stations/ channels when the account was tendered or does he
want the Governor to tender account privately to him?
Whoever is close to Senator Ita Enang should help
tell him that account was rendered yesterday and that the people are satisfied
with it and hope to have more dividends next year, God willing.
God bless our Governor Udom Emmanuel.
REVIEW OF THE PREFORMANCE OF 2017 BUDGET
Mr. Speaker, and Honorable Members, permit me to
start with a review of the 2017 Budget. A total of N371.292 billion was
approved for 2017 fiscal year. Later in the year, a Supplementary Budget of
N114.500 billion was approved thus bringing the total revised Budget of the
State to N485.792 billion, made up as follows:
Recurrent Expenditure - N 91.424 billion
Capital Expenditure - N313.498 billion
Consolidated Revenue Fund Charges - N 80.870
billion
Total - N485.792 billion
As at September, 2017 the actual recurrent Revenue
collected was N146.072 billion. This was 78% of the budgeted amount. A breakdown
of Recurrent Revenue shows that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) - N 10.425
billion
Statutory Allocation - N 19.932 billion
Value Added Tax (VAT) - N 7.895 billion
Derivation - N101.265 billion
Budget Support - N 6.555 billion
Total - N146.072 billion
In re-appraising expenditure, a total of N78.803
billion was spent on the recurrent services which include:
Personnel Costs - N 28.380 billion
Overhead Costs - N 9.610 billion
Consolidated Revenue Fund Charges - N 40.813
billion
Total - N 78.803 billion
Operating within the framework of the revised
approved Budget and the limits of available resources, we have been able to
record remarkable achievements in our industrialization effort, consolidate
already achieved gains of democratic governance and indeed, other areas in line
with our campaign promises. These achievements include the construction and
commissioning of Syringe Manufacturing Factory; Pencil and toothpick Factory;
Metering Solutions Factory ; Resuscitation of Peacock Paint Industry; 153+ MW
Ibom Power Plant and the commissioning of two Sub-Stations in Uyo and Ekim in
Mkpat-Enin Local Government Areas respectively. These investments have helped
improve the supply of electricity in our State. Uyo and its environs for
instance, now enjoy close to 18-22 hours of uninterrupted electricity. In
addition, the construction of Flour Mill, the coconut refinery and the Ibom
Deep Seaport are on-going.
Over 1,202km of roads and 17 bridges were
constructed, commissioned or at various stages of completion; we are
constructing over 45 internal roads in Uyo metropolis covering Shelter Afrique,
Osongama and Ewet Housing Estates, several kilometers of internal roads have
been commissioned or are ongoing in both Eket and Oron metropolis respectively;
Eket-Ibeno Road- the main thoroughfare to our oil production facilities which
was impassable upon my resumption of office has been completed and
commissioned. Work has resumed on Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, following the payment
of compensation.
The drainage at Nsikak Edouk, which was a major
problem, has been constructed and commissioned, the Information Drive in Uyo
had been completed and commissioned, and work is ongoing on the 35 kilometers
Super Highway in Ibaka. The 2nd Runaway at the Ibom International Airport is at
advanced stage of completion. A befitting Cathedral that will be the first of
its kind upon completion is in the offing as well as the 21 Storey modern
edifice situated at where the old Uyo Market is being constructed by Julius
Berger. We have renovated and commissioned the State Secretariat Annex;
11,000 hectares of land had been engaged for
coconut plantation; 1,600 hectares of cassava plantation in 15 LGAs acquired;
rice production in Ini Local Government Area is ongoing; Cocoa Plantation is on
course; 450 youths had been trained in cocoa processing; we now produce
tomatoes and onions in commercial quantities, subsidized fertilizer, oil palm
and cocoa seedlings had been provided; free maize seedlings also had been
provided; Akwa Prime Hatchery with a capacity to deliver 540,000 day old chick
per month had been constructed; cattle ranch and vegetable green houses are on
course;
Construction of over 400 Inter-Ministerial
intervention projects covering classroom blocks in primary and secondary
schools and SUBEB’S intervention in classroom blocks renovation of primary and
junior secondary school blocks in conjunction with the Federal Government,
improvement in electricity and the provision of transformers in the 31 LGAs;
Free and Compulsory Basic Education in Public Schools is pursued with vigor,
over N600 million WAEC Fees for indigent students in Public Secondary Schools
had been paid, more than 7 Community Secondary Schools had been taken over by
Government; the Army Command Secondary School, Efa, in Etinan will soon
commence, as well as strategic interventions in Tertiary Institutions had been
carried out; 57 School blocks were renovated; 5 new School buildings
constructed, 60 modular schools were established; Free Text Books and Other
Educational materials were procured and distributed;
Free Medical Services rendered to children below 5
years, pregnant women and the aged also enjoy free medical services; Etinan
General Hospital was renovated and commissioned by the Vice President,
Professor Yemi Osibanjo last September during our 30th Anniversary festivities.
The Hospital has the most modern equipment which were all imported from abroad.
Currently we have brought in 135 container-loads of medical equipment, of which
19 have been cleared already. The wards at the General Hospital in Ituk Mbang
have also been renovated. Other Secondary Healthcare Facilities across the
State were upgraded; we provided relief for over 4,000 mal-nourished children;
we also carried out free screening and treatment of over 15,000 people with
various eye diseases courtesy of my dear wife, Her Excellency Mrs. Martha Udom
Emmanuel’s Pet Project-Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Programme
(FEYReP);
The first Akwa Ibom State Youth Sports Festival
was held to a great success; Akwa United Won the maiden AITEO Cup and through
our support, Nigeria was able to qualify for World Cup, Russia 2018 with a game
left; over 4,000 Youths were trained in various skills acquisition,
construction of modern sports centres across the 10 Federal Constituencies,
N2billion Interest Free Loan for Small Scale entrepreneurs and traders was
given.
Besides these Capital Projects expenses, my
Administration also kept faith in meeting recurrent services: prompt payment of
salaries and allowances to Public Servants; payment of gratuities and pensions
to retired civil servants; cleared the backlog of a 10- year pension and
conducted promotions.
Also, of great benefit to our people and this
Administration is the signature Pet Project programme of my dear wife our First
Lady; Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel- The Family Empowerment and Youth
Re-orientation Programme (FEYReP). Through FEYReP, many lives have been touched
and widows especially have had houses built and donated to them. Our State
remains one of the safest in the nation, due to the huge support and
collaborations we have enjoyed with the security agencies.
\We have worked hard to utilize whatever monies we
have received to impact the lives of the people and create enduring
infrastructural amenities, and these elements were key points in our Five-Point
Agenda campaign platform.
Our Capital Budget Expenditure is described in
details in the Budget Implementation Report, which has been prepared to
facilitate your consideration of the Draft 2018 Budget.
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