The Enugu State 2024 budget estimate of ₦521.6bn has scaled through second reading at the State House of Assembly.
Speaking on Tuesday during the plenary in Enugu, the leader of the House, Iloabuchi Aniagu (PDP, Nkanu West), said the appropriation bill is one of the most important legislation received by the current assembly.
Aniagu noted that the running of the government would be jeopardised, if the budget is not considered, stressing that the Executive cannot spend any money without the approval of the lawmakers.
He described the budget, tagged Budget of Disruptive Economic Growth, as lofty, saying it was the first time the state would have ₦521.6bn as its budget estimate.
According to him, it was an indication that the state government under Governor Peter Mbah mean business in transforming the economic and social development of the state.
While pointing out that capital expenditure is far above recurrent expenditure, the expressed excitement that every wards in the state is captured, as it regards the construction of 260 Smart schools and Type II Primary Health Centre (PHC).
Another lawmaker, Okey Mba (PDP, Nkanu East), while agreeing with the submissions of Aniagu, noted the appropriation bill clearly manifests Gov. Mbah’s vision to raise the GDP of the state from $4.4bn to $30bn.
However, Harrison Ogara (LP, Igbo-Eze South), expressed doubt that the 2024 budget, which he termed ambitious, may not be realised considering the amount of revenue contained in it.
Ogara revealed that in 2023, the state generated only a revenue little above ₦100bn, questioned where the state would generate ₦252bn and asked his colleagues to critical look at the budget.
Mr. Lebechi Eze (LP, Isi-Uzo) complained that ₦3bn earmarked the House of Assembly in the 2024 is not adequate and poor, when compared with the other arms of the government.
Also contributing, Ms Obiajulu Ugwu (LP, Enugu South Rural), urged the state government to focus its attention on making existing PHC functional instead of building new ones.
Ugwu regretted that no provision allocation was made for provision of shelter to women, who are victims of Gender-based violence (GBV), to enable the state shelters them properly.
On his part, the Speaker of the House, Chief Uche Ugwu, asked various committees to conduct budget defence to enable the House to pass the budget before the end of the year.
The house thereafter adjourned its plenary to Dec. 21, 2024, for further legislative activities.