Enugu targets roads, infrastructure with N85bn budget

THE Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has restated the kernel of his election campaign promise of positive continuity, by building on the developmental framework of the previous administration to enhance the living conditions of the people and in moving the state forward. 

Presenting the N85,179,449,000 (eighty five billion, one hundred and seventy-nine million, four hundred and forty-nine thousand naira), 2016 Budget, tagged, “Budget of Stability and Consolidation to the State House of Assembly yesterday, Ugwuanyi noted that the main thrust of the budget is in line with the pledge in his inaugural speech, in which he stated his commitment “to employment generation, enhanced social services and good governance, rural development and indeed, security and justice.” 

Perhaps, in line with his mantra of continuity, that works and infrastructure got the lion share or 49.3 per cent of the budget.

The budget, which the governor acknowledged as the lowest in the state in recent years, which is 12 per cent or  N11,555,851,000 (eleven billion, five hundred and fifty-five million, eight hundred and fifty-one thousand naira), lower than the 2015 budget of N96,735,300,000, reflects “the current economic difficulties that the nation is passing through, while ensuring the seamless continuity and consolidation of the progressive policies and programmes of government that we promised our people, considering the present macro-economic climate and other prevailing variables, like the realities of revenue inflow from Federal Allocation.”

Stated the governor: “ In the area of road construction, we have already keyed-in to the goal of the immediate past administration to make every community in Enugu State accessible by road. In this regard, we will consolidate on the achievements in road construction and rehabilitation by striving to complete all on–going urban and rural roads while new ones will be awarded soonest. By this way, we will enhance rapid socio- economic transformation of the entire State.
 “It was for this purpose that Ministry of Works and Infrastructure received an allocation of N20.442 billion in 2016 budget representing 49.3 per cent of the entire Capital Budget as against N21.625 billion allocated to the ministry in 2015 budget. This allocation will take care of the on- going urban road rehabilitation at Enugu, Nsukka and other urban areas of Enugu.”

In the estimated Recurrent Expenditure N28, 843,291,948 (twenty-eight billion, eight hundred and forty-three million, two hundred and ninety-one thousand, nine hundred and forty-eight naira), or  65.95 per cent of the budget will service personnel costs, including Consolidated Revenue Fund Charges. In the meantime, N6,361,652,177 or 14.55 per cent of the budget for subvention to parastatals and tertiary institutions.
Acknowledging that the 2016 budget is the lowest Budget for the State in the past few years, Ugwuanyi urged that  “in times like this, we must change our ways of doing things if we are going to take a giant stride and achieve the expected results.