…Defends 2024 Budget Proposals
By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye
More Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs of the Delta State Government, on Tuesday, appeared before the Standing Committees of the State House of Assembly to defend their 2024 budget proposals.
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The officials in their presentations briefed the Lawmakers on the budget performances of the MDAs in the outgoing year and defended their proposals for 2024.
Describing budget defense as constitutional, Chairman House Committee on Works and Special Projects, Hon Oboro Preyor, said the annual exercise was meant to help MDAs fast track their budget implementation.
Hon Preyor, who represents Bomadi Constituency in the House, explained that budget defence not only engendered transparency but also promoted accountability which he noted were the hallmarks of good governance.
The Lawmaker stated that Ministries appearing before Standing Committees should see themselves as partners in progress with the aim of fostering economic growth.
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Preyor emphasized that the session was also geared towards enhancing the actualization of electioneering promises to the people of the state, particularly the MORE agenda of the present administration.
Commissioner for Works, Rural and Riverine Roads, Charles Aniagwu, who spoke on behalf of himself and the two other Commissioners in the Ministry of Works, Reuben Izeze, Highways and Urban Roads and Funyei Manager, Special Projects, told the Committee that the sum of N150bn had been proposed for capital expenditure and over N500m for recurrent expenditure.
He disclosed that the Ministry had executed over 912 projects with a total value of N886.9bn between May 2015 and November 2023.
According to Aniagwu, “‘The projects include 2,146,45 kilometers of road and 1,251.80 kilometers of drainage channel. The balance amount required to complete all the projects undertaken is N389.3bn”.
He said the road projects embarked upon in the three senatorial districts of the state would be vigorously pursued to completion to give effect to the MORE agenda of the present administration in the state.
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Mr Aniagwu explained that Works was a key sector in development, disclosing that in the year under review, the Ministry intended to enhance job creation and the evacuation of farm produce from agrarian rural communities to storage and processing centers with the multiplier effect of boosting agriculture and industrialization.
He emphasized that the Ministry, through its core mandate, also intended to check youth restiveness through meaningful engagement of the people, engender wealth creation, enhance accessibility to health and educational institutions in urban and remote areas, as well as improve network of inter- intra city roads in the state.
The Works Commissioner noted that the galloping inflation, depreciation of the naira, unpredictable construction season due to climate change and funding constraints had been major challenges in the smooth running of the Ministry.
Aniagwu commended members of the Assembly Committee on Works and Special Projects for their support
The Works Committee also meet with the Management of the Direct Labour Agency led by the Acting Director General, Engr Henry Emonena.
Chairman of the Committee, Oboro Preyor, charged the officials to live up to government’s expectation of being an interventionist agency.
He said, “We are working hard to ensure that DLA is revived. This is because, as an interventionist agency, DLA has a lot to do for Deltans.
“We are aware of what has gone wrong in the Agency. However, we are not going to probe into the past, but will advice that you turn a new leaf and work on your attitude as staff of the agency.
“My advice to you as Chairman of this Committee is to ensure that whatever fund that may be appropriated should be managed judiciously.
“There is no doubt that the present government is ready to revitalize the Agency, but you must assure us that you will be prudent and transparent in all your dealings”, Preyor said.
The Director General, Mr Henry Emonena, had told the Committee that twenty four million naira budget proposal was for regular over head, while two billion naira was for capital expenditure.
The House Committee on Information, which has the Majority Leader of the State Assembly, Hon Emeka Nwaobi as the Chairman, met with the managements of the State Ministry of Information, Delta Broadcasting Service, Asaba and Warri, and the Pointer Newspaper, with the functioning Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Lucky Omokri as head of the team.
Speaking with newsmen immediately after the session, Hon Emeka Nwaobi said the state government was determined to improve on the operations of DBS and Pointer Newspaper to ensure quality services.
Nwaobi stated that an uninformed society was as good as blind to the realities of the times, especially government activities and promised the commitment of the State Legislature to promoting efficiency in the media establishments