By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
Barely two months that the Akwa Ibom 2022 Appropriation Budget
It is titled “A Law to make Supplementary Provision for the Service of Akwa Ibom State Government for the year ending on 31st December, 2022.
The Bill seeks to make an increase in the budget size of the state that was passed last year from N586Billion to N631Billion, an increase of N45Billion from when it was approved last year.
Governor Emmanuel sent the request amidst the record that the state ranked higher with a domestic debit profile of N234,852,289,193.87 after Lagos state which has N532,121,992,824.96 as at September 30, 2021 according to data from the Debt Management Office, Abuja.
Speaking at a Plenary on Thursday after receiving the Bill, the House Leader, and member representing Oruk Anam state Constituency, Udo Kierian Akpan said, “The State Accountant General may, when authorized so to do by warrants issued by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in addition to the sums provided for in Section One of the Appropriation Law, 2022, pay of warrants not exceeding N41Billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and N4Billion from the Capital Development Fund.”
Akpan explained that “the Bill also seeks to complete some projects in the state and it is the determination of the State Governor to see that these projects are commissioned within his administration.”
He also noted that IPCs and contractors are in need of these funds in order to complete most projects like the Airport Projects, Dualized Roads in Etinan and Oruk Anam Local Government Areas and other incomplete projects in the state.
The Assemblyman, however appealed to his colleagues to give the Bill the attention its deserves for the budget to be passed speedily.
In their various submissions, the Honourable Members expressed optimism that the Supplementary Appropriation was in the interest of the state, maintaining that “the projects are very critical to the good of the State.”
The Bill was read the second time and referred to the House Committee on Appropriation and Finance to report back to the House within 24 hours.
The Committee was expected to interface with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies for further contributions on the Bill and legislative procedure before passage.
Meanwhile, the House which held its sitting at one of the Committee Rooms instead of the main Chambers due to renovation works said to be ongoing at the place, had adjourned its plenary to Monday, March 7, 2022 by 10 a.m
It would be recalled that prior to Thursday’s Plenary of the House, it was rumoured that Governor Emmanuel had sent a letter to the Assembly seeking approval to collect a Commercial Bank Loan of N150 billion but the request was overwhelmingly rejected by members, except the Speaker, Aniekan Bassey.
The unconfirmed rumour had it that the lawmakers rejected to deliberate on the request because it was alleged that Governor Emmanuel sought for the loan to actualise his succession plan with his Lands and Water Resources Commissioner Pastor Umo Eno whom he handpicked and anointed to succeed him in office as Governor in 2023 on the platform of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
When asked to ascertain the true position, the Chairman, House Committee on Information and member representing Etinan State Constituency, Aniefiok Akpan denied that the House had not received such request from the Governor.
Just as the rumour was still in the public discourse in the state, given the high debt profile standing against the state, that the House sat and deliberated on an Supplementary Budget Bill which within a day Plenary, passed through second reading awaiting passage by next sitting.
The supplementary budget request from Governor Emmanuel came two months after the Appropriation Budgets of the State for 2022 fiscal year was passed by the Assembly and assented to by the Governor.
