The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Monday presented a total of N139,398,280,640.00 Appropriation Bill for the 2023 fiscal year, to the State House of Assembly.
The budget was christened ‘Budget of Divine Mandate Budget of Consolidation and Continuity’.
Umahi, during his presentation said his administration will implement 41.67% while the next administration will implement 58.33% of the budget.
He said; “Our steadfastness in upholding the tenets of government of the people by the people and for the people, and our unflinching commitment in courting the public and making qualitative difference on the lives of the people we serve. Since we came on board, our budget conceptualizations and implementations have been citizen-based.''
“The proposed budget has MDAs that will be spending higher than others and this is so because we have strong determination to actualise the completion of our projects, increase our strive to improve the education sub-sector, the Human Capital Development agenda and engage our people in food production programs and various other entrepreneurship programs, this has further made us to prioritize the following sub-sectors: Education, Works, Health, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Human Capital Development and Health, Internal Security and Border Peace, Finance, Commerce and Industry, Power, Housing, Judiciary, Legislature and Secretary to State Government.''
“These fourteen critical sub-sectors got a total sum of One Hundred and Twenty-One Billion, Five Hundred and Eleven Million, Seventy One Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty Naira (N121,511,071,640.00) covering 87% while other sub-sectors have a total sum of Seventeen Billion, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Two Hundred and Nine Thousand Naira (N17,887,209,000.00) covering 13% of the Budget.''
“This consist of a Recurrent Expenditure of Fifty-Eight Billion, Three Hundred Sixty-Seven Million, Seven Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand Four Hundred and Sixty-Eight Naira (N58,367,774,468.00) covering 41.87% of the total budget.”
“Personnel cost is Twenty-Six Billion, Eight Hundred, Ninety-Four Million, Three Hundred, Eighty-Four Thousand Four Hundred and Sixty-Eight Naira (N26,894,384,468.00) covering 19.29% of the total budget.”
“Overhead cost is Thirty-One Billion, Four Hundred Seventy-Three Million, Three Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira (N31,473,390,000.00) covering 22.58% of the total budget.”
“The Capital expenditure of Eighty-One Billion, Thirty Million, Five Hundred Six Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-Two Naira (N81,030,506,172.00) covering 58.13% of the total budget estimate.”
The Governor explained that the 2023 budget proposal is 4.13% less than the 2022 original budget and it is aimed at addressing the challenges observed so far in the implementation of the 2022 original budget.
Umahi said the proposed budget will commence the set up of the two universities namely, the ICT University at Oferekpe, Izzi and the Aeronautical University at Ezza.