…Labels it: budget for the service to Obio/Akpor people
…Seeks urgent passage of the appropriation bill
From THELMA Victor, PortHarcourt
For rapid growth and development in Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State, the Executive Chairman of council, Amb. Chijioke Ihunwo has presented the 2025 appropriation bill of twelve billion, four hundred and ninety five million, three hundred and forty one thousand, six hundred and sixty two naira, seventy six kobo to the 10th Obio/Akpor legislative council.
Tagged: budget of service for the people of Obio/Akpor local government, six million, five hundred million, four hundred and sixty nine thousand, seven hundred and thirty two naira is for recurrent expenditure.
This is contained in a release issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman,Ofonime Okon and availed newsmen.
Already, the council has attached figures on how the recurrent expenditure will be spent by budgeting more than 2.8 million naira for personal cost, 2.8 million naira for Overhead and 46 million for social benefits.
In the budget estimates, the council is planning to spend five billion, eight hundred sixty nine million, nine hundred and eighteen thousand, five hundred and fourteen naira for capital projects.
In his presentation, the Executive Chairman of Obio/Akpor local government, Rivers State, Ambassador Chijioke Ihunwo, said the budget will be funded through different sources like the Statutory allocation from FAAC, Internally Generated Revenue IGR, Unspecified revenue and opening balance et al.
He is therefore appealing to the 10th Obio/Akpor legislative council to speedily pass the bill into law for effective service delivery to the people.
“Honourable members, you know that we are already doing a lot as the Executive arm of the council, one of the things we did the moment we resumed office was to begin the construction of a new chairman’s office, a lodge, handed over official vehicles to all the members of this house, distribution of transformers to some communities, initiate grant for Master’s and PhD students both indigenes and non indigenes and many other projects.”
“Honourable members, it doesn’t’ stop there, we have lined up many other projects for execution like free JAMB forms and training of candidates, construction of roads, markets, schools, empowerment of our people through soft loans and the distribution of more transformers.”
The Executive Chairman of Obio/Akpor local government, Ambassador Chijioke Ihunwo also sought a strong working relationship with the legislative arm to enable the Executive achieve its set goals in the area of road infrastructure, human capital development, school and healthcare delivery et al.
“Mr leader and honourable members, you know that a tree cannot make a forest, that is why I appeal that we work together as a formidable team though independent from each other, yet together for the common interest of the people of Obio/Akpor.”
“Let’s keep aside all forms of bias and sentiment in our service to the people so that we can give them the best. By doing so, history will be kind to us all.”
In his response, the leader of the 10th Obio/Akpor legislative council, Rt. Hon. Nyeche Owhonogwu praised the Executive Chairman, Ambassador Chijioke Ihunwo and his team for a job well done in his one hundred days in office.
He pledged the resolve of the lawmakers to give him the needed support and promised speedy consideration of the budget estimates.
Joining the Executive Chairman for the budget presentation were the vice chairman of the council, Mrs Sophia Amarachi Nkoro, the secretary of council, Hon. Prince Aruchi C. Amechi Ph.D Chief of Staff, Chuku Chizi, Director of Due Process, Ovunda Elijah and the entire supervisors of the council.
Also present were the principal officers of the council including the Head of local government administration, HPM, the director of works and the special adviser to the governor on Civil Society Relations, Rt. Hon. Achor Nna.
In the meantime, the 2025 appropriation bill of Obio/Akpor local government has passed first reading on the floor of the house and has been forwarded to the committee on finance and appropriation for further action.