Abia Assembly Passes Abia State of Nigeria 2023 Appropriation (Amendment) Bill into Law as Budget and Planning Commissioner present 2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

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The Abia State House of Assembly has passed into Law, HAB 3,The Abia State of Nigeria 2023 Appropriation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was hitherto a Bill for a Law to amend the 2023 Appropriation Law, to authorize the Virement of the sum of Twenty Two Billion, Two Hundred and Sixty Three Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred Naira only, in the Appropriation Law for the services of the Government of Abia State of Nigeria, for the year ending 31st Day of December, 2023 and for other related purposes.

The Law is to be cited as Abia State of Nigeria 2023 Appropriation (Amendment) Law, which came into effect on the 1st of August 2023.

During Plenary presided by Rt Hon Augustine Okezie, the Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, following a motion to same effect, sponsored by the Majority Leader, Hon Uchenna Okoro, who highlighted the Bill, being a straightforward Virement on areas not adequately captured to be properly couched and reflected for the smooth running of Government, the said Bill passed through very rigorous processes of First Reading,Second Reading with very combustive contributions in Committee of Whole, Third Reading and final passage, Rt Hon Augustine Okezie reiterated that the general growth and oiling of the wheels of progress of Abia State should be considered paramount, hence the Law.

The House, same day, reverted to a Quasi Plenary for the Presentation of the 2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) by the Abia State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Kingsley Anosike.

During the presentation, Mr Anosike highlighted the Budget Policy Thrust for the Medium Term Expenditure Framework to include reduced over dependence on Federal transfers through improved independent revenue generation, achievable via a technology driven and autonomous Board of Internal Revenue.

Also part of the policy thrust is what he described as continuous improvement in access to and quality of public service, which he said included education and healthcare delivery systems at all levels, as part of Government’s resolve to promote equality and inclusive development.

Pursuit of initiatives that would continue to generate economic growth and guarantee security, constant infrastructural development which is aligned to Government’s quest for all round and total transformation of Abia State with infrastructure that would stand the test of time and broadening governance reforms particularly in policy and strategy, public expenditure and financial management and public sector management all formed part of the policy thrust.

Mr Kingsley Anosike further hinted the total forecast budget size for the 2024 fiscal year as #214,490,095,966 of which the sum of #95,479,396,725 will be for recurrent expenditure and #108,299,736,309 will be for capital expenditure, with #4,760,427,970 shall be for planning reserve that will be allocated to sectors at bilateral discussion stage to fund critical expenditure items not envisaged at the stage of issuing budget call circular while #5,950,534,692 shall be earmarked for contingency reserve, the Budget and Planning Commissioner concluded.

Rt Hon Augustine Okezie in his remarks said the 8th Assembly, in view of the enormous responsibility on it’s shoulders shall up it’s ante in oversight functions, to ensure that expectations of Abians are met, with no excuses tolerated, in line with Governor Alex Chioma Otti’s vision for Abia State, which the Abia State House of Assembly has without equivocation, resolved to partner.

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