Anambra State House of Assembly has urged Chief Willie Obiano, the state governor, to ensure effective implementation of the N166.9 billion 2018 budget estimate presented to it Thursday.
The charge was conveyed to the governor by Hon. Obinna Emenaka (Anambra East state constituency), the House Committee Chairman on Appropriation, while giving a vote of thanks to the governor and his team shortly after presenting the 2018 appropriation drafts.
He said that the diligent implementation of the component parts of the 2017 budget of the state to the tune of 85 percent, making each of the 177 communities in the state feel the impact of government ensured victory for his second term in office during the recent governorship election in the state conducted on November 18.
He said that the people of the state expected the governor and his team to at least attain 95 percent implementation of the 2018 budget, adding that the state’s 2018 budget aptly tagged, “Value for Money” is in line with sections 103 and 128 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended.
He said that the 2018 budget of the state was capital expenditure driven, meaning that the people of the state would expect that the executive arm of government would work extensively for the over-all good of the state.
He appealed to the state’s ministries of Finance, Budget and planning to come up with the budget implementation plan that would ensure value for money, adding that the people of the state would like to see their expectations met.
On the event of virement of funds, the appropriation committee chairman urged the executive arm of government to always seek for approval from the state legislature to avoid violating the law and expressed the hope that the house would work hard to ensure that the budget is passed into law before the end of the year.
