Governor Umahi stressed that his administration would focus on agriculture and internally generated revenue to make the state buoyant and self-sustaining.
Umahi lauded the state House of Assembly for the timely passage of the bill and called for stronger collaboration in the implementation of the budget.
He said, “The chunk of the budget or 20 % of it is expected to come from agriculture,N20 billion; we also expect about sixty something billion to come from IGR. We expect to borrow about N17 billion from the capital market and financial houses.
“Unfortunately,from the time we proposed this budget to today, the expected inflow from federation account,which stands about N36 billion,at N3 billion per month has gone down by about 33%”
Earlier, the speaker of the House of Assembly,Hon.Francis Nwifuru, had earlier explained that the budget went through normal process before passage.
The Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has flagged off the construction of the Ivo Water Project estimated to cost over N1.2bn.
Speaking at the ceremony in Amagu Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area, Umahi disclosed that the project which was conceived when he was a deputy governor was a Federal Government-assisted project.
Umahi, who commended Senator Anyim Pius Anyim for his contributions towards the realization of the water project.
The governor said, “We requested for assistance from the Federal Government for this Ivo Water Project. It was supposed to be for Ishiagu alone, but we decided to expand it to reach Akaeze community and also get to our model rice mill in Oso Edda.”
He said that 70 per cent of the money needed to complete the project was ready, stressing that the counterpart funding from the Federal Government was also available with the state government.
Umahi, who used the occasion to thank the people of Ivo LGA for their support during the last governorship election, assured them of the provision of roads and electricity.
“Roads are still coming, electricity will still come,” he assured, stressing that when the water project is completed, the government will be proud to say that the water need of the LGA has been solved.
Earlier in an address on the occasion, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Francis Orji, stated that the project which has a 12-month completion period was awarded to Chap Construction Limited at the cost of N1,203,824,347.44k.
Orji thanked Governor Umahi for his huge investments in the water sector and assured of the commitment of his ministry “to ensure that the project is started, executed and completed in the most professional manner”.
Similarly, Governor Umahi commissioned the Uburu Rural Electrification and Uburu Street light projects.
Performing the ceremony at Umunaga Agu-Ugwu and the Old Market Square, Amata Uburu in Ohaozara LGA, Umahi said, “When we came on board, we sat down to say look it is better to start our rural electrification community by community. If we come to one community, we finish everything about rural electrification of that community.”
The governor told Uburu people to hold the Commissioner for Power, Chief Emmanuel Uguru, responsible if there was any part of Uburu without electricity.
He said, “Our agreement is for this(electricity) to get to every part of Uburu so that for years, Uburu will not ask for electricity again, and from there we will go to another community anywhere in Ebonyi State.”
The governor announced with regrets, attempt by some people to vandalize the electricity cables and directed that the suspects must be prosecuted.
He charged Uburu people to protect all government investments in their area, warning that any vandalised public utility would not be repaired.
Umahi said, “You have to guard government’s investments. This is your own dividend of democracy. So any one vandalised will not be repaired.”
The governor thanked Chief Uguru and his team for their commitment in delivering on set goals.
Meanwhile, Governor Umahi has signed into law the 2016 appropriation bill of N101.1billion. Umahi, while performing the function at the Government House,Abakaliki,said the 2016 budget was predicated on his administration’s deep desire to assist Ebonyi indigenes hawking on the streets of major cities in the country.He explained that his administration was determined to help them engage in a more dignified ventures.
He also said the government would in 2016 assist indigent widows, pursue its urban renewal drive, ensure efficient health care services, boost agriculture and address the plight of Ebonyi people.
It will be recalled that the 2016 budget proposal was submitted to the Assembly on 10th of December,2015 by Governor Umahi.