COVID-19: Enugu proposes 13.67% reduction N169.5bn 2020 budget, engages citizens on revision

Enugu State Deputy Governor, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo (2nd left), with the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu (2nd right); Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya (left) and Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, during the Citizen Engagement on the 2020 Revised Budget, held in Enugu, yesterday.

By Our Reporter

Enugu State government on Tuesday, engaged citizens on the proposal to revise the state's 2020 budget and tailor it down to align with the current economic realities occasioned by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

To this end the State Government has proposed a 13.67 percent reduction in the 2020 budget size of N169, 557,658,300.00, which amounts to N23,183,017,220.00.

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has made it imperative for the federal government and all 36 states of the federation to revise their budgets, in line with the templates adopted by the National Executive Council, to be able to adapt to the current situation globally. 

Speaking during the public presentation of the revised budget at the Dome Event Centre, Enugu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, represented by his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, said that the revision became crucial because of "the economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, especially the drastic reduction in government earnings, arising from the sudden collapse of the global demand for price of crude oil".

Mrs. Ezeilo pointed out that the public session with citizens of the state underscores the state government's commitment to participatory democracy and transparency.

The Deputy Governor added that the exercise was also "in fulfillment of our obligations under the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and the conditions of the World Bank budget policy support partnership as well as our Open Government Partnership (OGP) obligations.

She maintained that "the budget of the Enugu State Government is 'the business' of all the stakeholders and opinion leaders as well as all Ndi Enugu at home and in the Diaspora", stressing that their brilliant and patriotic inputs and the faithfulness “made our 2019 budget to achieve a performance of 80%”.

She said this was in addition to Enugu’s current enviable rating as one of the six most economically viable states in Nigeria.

Earlier in his remark, the State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Dr. David Ugwunta, disclosed that the state government had carried out similar exercise during the preparation of the 2020 budget, which he said, offered citizens the opportunity to make their inputs.

Dr. Ugwunta explained that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic had its negative consequences that resulted in the drop of GDP growth, which brought about increase in inflation.

The commissioner said that the development propelled “the need to look at the 2020 budget and to be able to bring it down and align it to the current economic realities”.

Dr. Ugwunta, therefore, informed the public that the State Government proposed a 13.67 percent reduction in the 2020 budget size of N169, 557,658,300.00, which amounts to N23,183,017,220.00.

He stated that the proposed revised budget estimate is N146,374,641,080.00, while the savings and additional sum required are N53,617,927,900 and N27,455,910,680.00 respectively.

The commissioner further disclosed that the 2020 budget approved recurrent and capital expenditures of N68,790,000,000.00 and N100,767,658,300.00 were revised to N69,790,000,000.00 and N76,584,641,080 respectively, representing 48 percent and 52 percent.

While seeking the cooperation and inputs of state residents, Dr.  Ugwunta assured them that the revised budget, if approved, will guarantee the state government’s firm footing to address their development needs and respond to the challenges associated with COVID-19 pandemic.

Dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu and other members of the State Assembly, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya and other members of the State Executive Council, state traditional rulers led by their Chairman, HRH Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mr. Casmir Ugwu, members of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), President Generals among others.

Crisis rocks Enugu NMA: We have suspended our chairman- faction - No, suspension a hoax, embattled chairman

By Madu Ezenoha, Enugu

 

Few weeks to its general election, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Enugu State has been hit by crisis leading to claims and counter claims of suspension of its leadership.

 

The matter which came to a head at the weekend saw the emergence of two chairmen for the State Chapter of NMA, Dr. Dr. Ike Okwesili and Dr. Onyekachi Ugwuonye respectively.

 

While a statement made available to journalists in Enugu purported that the NMA Enugu State branch had after its virtual Emergency General Meeting (EGM) on July 24, suspended its chairman, Dr. Okwesili, for alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office, a counter statement from the camp of the alleged suspended chairman dismissed the suspension describing it as a hoax and mischievous.

But the group which announced the suspension claimed that the virtual meeting, participated by 30 out of over 4,000 members of the association in the state, had appointed Dr. Onyekachi Ugwuonye, one of the three vice chairmen to act as chairman pending the determination of the matter by the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the NMA state branch.

The suspension was issued in Enugu and signed by Ugwuonye and Dr. Okam Izuchukwu.

They claimed that their meeting was in line with Article VII (i) and (ii) of the By-laws of the NMA, Enugu State, while alleging that the suspended chairman had unilaterally withdrawn the rights and privileges of some members of the association without recourse to laid down procedures and thereby, threw the association into chaos.

But in a counter letter with ref. NMA/ENUGU/240720/622, addressed to Zonal Chairmen, Heads of Affiliates, CMDs/MDs of Tertiary Health Institutions (THIs) and its members, titled: 'Re: purported suspension of the NMA Enugu State chairman - disclaimer', described the report as malicious and figment of imagination of those behind it. 

In the letter signed by Dr. Ike Okwesili and Dr. Emmanuel O. Aneke, Chairman and Secretary of Enugu state NMA respectively, also described the meeting as improper despite the number as those who signed for the meeting were non-financial members. 

The letter was copied to the President of NMA, Commissioner of Police Enugu State and State Director, DSS.

The letter read "The leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Enugu State has been regrettably inundated with barrage of complaints bordering on acts of gross misconduct by some members who for reasons best known to them orchestrated and executed a failed plot to topple a legitimate State Executive Council of our noble association.

"We are heavily dismayed by these unwholesome, fraudulent and embarrassing activities of these individuals who have even gone ahead to issue a press release with a cloned letter head of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Enugu State, a criminal act which violates all extant laws of the land, MDCN Act and Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

"It is therefore expedient to state that expressions, information and all content of that said report do not in any way represent the official position and opinion of NMA Enugu State.

"Anybody associating or doing business with this group of individuals does so at his own risk as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Enugu State will not be held legally responsible for any misrepresentation arising from the activities of these impostors.

"Let it be known that these illegalities and act of gross misconduct have dire consequences and everyone involved in this obnoxious act will surely face the full wrath of our noble association and law," it declared.

 

It is learnt that the leadership crisis is induced by the forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association, during which it will elect new officers. 

VON DG, Okechukwu hails Dogara’s defection to APC, says its good omen for 2023

VON-DG Osita Okechukwu

By Our Madu Ezenoha

 

Former speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara's defecion to All Progressives Congress (APC) portends good omen for the party ahead of 2023 general elections, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu said on Sunday.

 Speaking with journalists at his hometown, Eke in Udi local government area of Enugu State, Okechukwu, a chieftain of APC, expressed excitement over the return of Dogara after a short stint with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 According to him, Dogara must have been attracted back to APC by President Muhammadu Buhari’s agrarian revolution and the transformation going on in the party under the Caretaker Committee headed by Yobe State Governor, His Excellency, M.M. Buni. Dogara is from agrarian community and cannot failed to ignite the unprecedented Buhari’s Agrarian Revolution.

Okechukwu predicted more defections to APC as the 2023 elections approaches.

“To be frank, one rates Rt.Hon. Yakubu’s decamping to All Progressives Congress (APC), as a good omen to our great party. Dogara could be likened to a woman who has married two husbands and comes back to the first husband," he said.

Okechukwu described the return  of Dogara as a clear reflection that APC has more transparent officials, better programs and had done more with little resources.

He said it does not matter if the return of Dogara  to APC was politically motivated or because of disagreement with his Governor, His Excellency, Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State, insisting that the former speaker acted in national interest. 

“To me whether local politics or national politics, Dogara must have noticed that there are positive changes and realpolitik transformation going in the soul of APC, which will attract more progressives as we approach 2023 general elections. 

"A lot of progressives in other political parties are closely watching His Excellency M.M. Buni’s Caretaker Committee,” Okechukwu said.

He maintained that Dogara has out of the box of cacophony of voices of heart rendering insecurity, gross unemployment and seeming hopeless in the land, came to the inevitable conclusion that all hands have to be on the deck to salvage the country from the cliff-hang.  

When asked how on earth one could talk of APC harbouring more transparent officials and programmes more than PDP with deafening stories of corruption in the public domain, such as Magu vs Malami and Saharareporters, Akpabio and NDDC, Ngige and NSITF, among others,  Okechukwu said, “one has to be cautious, be careful, we don’t jump the gun, let’s wait until the investigations are concluded. There is no need for speculations or hazarding guess work. It is also sign of war against corruption that the issues were not swept under the carpet. It is work in progress as far as anti-graft war is concerned."

On the Saharareporters web-photos on Malami’s properties, Okechukwu quipped, “what struck me was that we slept in the same hotel pictured in the photos during the 2011 general elections campaign of defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). 

"If the Attorney General owned the hotel before he came into office in 2015, is it correct to accuse him on this count?” Okechukwu said, adding that he vividly remembered how they enjoyed themselves pro bono at the behest of Abubakar Malami in the hotel.

On the coincidence of Dogara's defection at a time PDP called for the President's resignation, Okechukwu said he had not assessed the inner workings of his mind but believes that the former speaker " appreciates like most of us that Nigeria is in a bind and dire straights, and that all President Buhari needs at this crucial time is the hands of all patriots on the deck, not resignation."

In sum he said in all honesty, Mr President needs the support of all patriots to navigate Nigeria out of crisis, not resignation.