BY EBERE EKECHI
Members of Imo State House of Assembly have passed the 2021 budget into law, barely five days it was presented to the State lawmakers by Governor Hope Uzodimma.
The budget now awaits the assent of the Governor.
Assembly watchers have described the speedy passage of the budget barely few days after it was presented by the Governor on the floor of the House as “strange and unprecedented”
But House Committee Chairman on Information, Hon Johnson Iheonukara Duru, said the budget contained no ambiguity.
The bill is entitled “A bill for a law to appropriate the sum of (N332, 831,773,737bn) Three Hundred and thirty Two Billion, Eight
Hundred and Thirty One Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira to the service of the Government of Imo State for the year ending on 31st day of December, 2021, and for other related purposes.
“This excludes the Consolidated Revenue Fund Charge of (N13,338,198,348bn) Thirteen billion, three Hundred and thirty-Eight million, one Hundred and Ninety Eight thousand, three Hundred and forty-Eight Naira; Hence a total budget of (N346,169,972,085bn) Three Hundred and Forty-Six Billion, One Hundred and Sixty -Nine Million, Nine hundred and seventy-two thousand, Eighty-Five Naira.
In most cases, budget defence is carried out by the House who invite Commissioners, Heads of Agencies and Parastatals, MDAs.This never happened.
Duru however countered this perception, saying there was pre budget analysis, with relevant MDAs before the final figures were arrived. He further revealed that various Committees of the House had interfaced with different MDAs, adding that the passage of the bill was never done in secret.
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