The Executive Chairman of Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Barrister Steve Emenike Nwankpa has presented the 2023 budget estimate of about 2.9 billion Naira to the members of the Legislative Council in the area.
Tagged the “Budget of Consolidation,” Nwankpa said it would help to encourage all-inclusive governance and birth dividends of democracy to his council people.
He recalled in the 2022 budget, much attention was paid to infrastructural development, and however, said, the 2023 financial appropriation bill was planned to build on that leverage, by ensuring the welfare package of the council people, providing them with a sound education and other basic amenities especially potable water, electricity, standard health, etc.
The Council Chairman further noted that clear insurance and scrutiny have been carefully weaved to ensure the budget estimate for the 2023 fiscal year would be carried within expenditures and those predicted expenditures for explicit implementation.
He said his administration has looked at the recurrent expenditures and concluded the plan to reduce the cost of governance in the council area while advocating for accountability and transparency in the public service, alongside means of boosting the local government economy.
His words: “We also have looked at our recurrent expenditures. What is invoked now, is to reduce the cost of our administration – the cost that is an appurtenance to the administration of this place must be cut down. We have to focus more on other areas that will help us to drive home the dividends of democracy.
“This budget will also ensure accountability and transparency, to promote sober utilisation of the available resources, in line with the best practice of this contemporary age.
“We also know the budget will help to enhance our internally generated revenues, IGRs. The internally generated revenue is the fulcrum of boosting our economy in this area and we intend to come up, to ensure we can compete very favourably because you know the dependability of this government depends on the contributions of the people by way of helping to generate revenues.
“Also, there are areas we are not paying attention to, and in 2023, we are going to pay special attention to them. These have to be handled with internally generated revenues.
“In 2023, we are not just presenting the budget for constitutional sake but we are presenting a functional budget, an implantable and realizable one. We urge you to look at the simplicity of the budget that we have a total budget of
two billion, nine hundred and thirty-six million, seven hundred and ten thousand Naira, and ninety Kobo.”
Stakeholders from the council area including former Auditor General of Ebonyi State – Chief Boniface Ekpagu, a retired Permanent Secretary – Dr John Nkwuda, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Izzi Local Government Area – Okoye Odilichukwu, the Coordinator of Ebia Development Centre – Comrade Uchenna Nwamkpuma, his counterparts of Nnodo – Chijioke Nwuzor, that of Ominyi – Oliver Mbam, and Izzi – Paschal Obiya among others commended the budget estimate.
The stakeholders noted that the budget estimate has captioned the interests of the various communities of the council area and however, urged the council authorities for adequate implementation.
Recall that the budget estimate has been adopted by the legislative council under the watch of their Leader – Titus Nwabueze Ominyi representing Mgbabeluzo Ward, following the motion moved by Nduka Ominyi representing Igbuhu Ward and seconded by Augustine Nwibo representing Igbeagu Ward II in the House.
