‘Building Off From The Blocks’. That was the title of the revised 2022 Appropriation Act and 2022 Fiscal Framework presented by Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, before the Anambra State House of Assembly, on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
The bill raised the deficit in the state government’s budget from 141.9 billion naira to 170 billion naira. Sixty four percent of the revised budget is for capital expenditure compared to previous version.
Bearing the challenges of recent times in mind, including the security situation in the state, as alluded by the governor, the revision became very imperative. A cursory look reveals that it reflects the realities on ground as well as the priorities of the new administration.
In the revised budget which has a size of about N170 billion versus the existing appropriation of N142 billion, the capital expenditure accounts for 64 percent, thereby increasing what it was by 33 percent. This entails an increment from 81 billion naira to 108 billion naira. The recurrent expenditure increased by 0.79 percent from 69 billion naira. The budget on security was left unchanged as the Soludo’s administration banks on ‘off budget resources” from donations to augment.
A detailed look at the revised draft, reveals that 60 percent of the capital expenditure is channeled to infrastructural development. This means that on or before December, 31st, 2022, ndi Anambra should expect massive infrastructural development across the state.
This is in tandem with the governor’s statement that his administration’s agenda is “one that the average citizen can feel, see, use or touch, and which has the highest developmental impact within the shortest possible time”.
In many of his recent speeches, Professor Soludo had emphasized that his administration has declared a state of emergency on Anambra roads and infrastructure as well as traffic management. According to the budget, 31 percent of its totality, amounting to about 52 billion naira, is devoted to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure as the present administration intends to simultaneously invest on roads across the state, with special attention on its ‘Urban Regeneration Agenda’.
According to the draft estimate, the present administration plans to recruit qualified medical doctors and nurses for general hospitals, upscale the infrastructure in select-few, train teachers for primary and secondary schools in Anambra State, provide basis for reforms to ensure that state-owned institutions of higher learning are fit for purpose, construction of expansive entertainment and leisure park around Agulu Lake, full computerization of the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General to ensure transparency and adequate management of the state’s finance, among others.
The previous administration had introduced the ’20 million naira community choose your project initiative’. It should be gratifying to Anambra communities, that Professor Soludo’s administration has decided to continue with the initiative. It has therefore raised funding for the scheme to 25 million naira per community. This will no doubt circulate money within Anambra communities, as well as ensure establishment of major life-impacting projects within Anambra communities.
Furthermore, the budget provides for modern centralized ICT Data Center to help data and information collection in the state and ensure business continuity. The revised budget gives impetus to the digitization of the state’s land registry and empowerment of thousands of youths and building a digital tribe, among others.
Reinvention of the oil palm and coconut revolution is also captured in the revised budget as Anambra communities have been mobilized, as well as with private sector partnership, to provide 500,000 to 1,000,000 seedlings this year and millions, going forward.
In conclusion, it is evident that rounded development of the state is at the fulcrum of the Governor Soludo-led administration. It therefore needs all the support it can get. Ndi Anambra are also desirous that the State House of Assembly will give the 2022 Revised Budget Draft expeditious passage as the people cannot wait to join Governor Soludo to build a liveable and prosperous Anambra State.
Written by EJIKE ABANA
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