By Ewa Innocent, The Sight News
Abakaliki: Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has presented a budget estimate of N178,136,634,975.38 to the Ebonyi state House of Assembly for the 2020 Fiscal year.
The budget which is captioned,”Budget of growth,consolidation and Transformation” has been fashioned to give ongoing projects in the state a priority, while Education, Works, Security, Infrastructure, among others will receive robust attention.
Umahi, while presenting the budget noted that Works and Infrastructure will get N54,125,083,468.48, which is 30.38% of the total budget sum, while Education will get N27,097,262,388.69.
Health will get N15,466,541,603.85, and Human Capital Development and Commerce and Industry will jointly share 8,016,088,324.70.
His words,”Spending on Capital budget has been prioritized in favour of critical on-going projects. A look at the budget proposal shows that Health, Education, Works, Security, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Human Capital Development and Commerce and Industry will be accorded priority in this 2020 budget.
“While Works and Infrastructure for Concession will receive a total of Fifty Four Billion, One Hundred and Twenty Five Million and Eighty Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty Eight Naira, Forty Eight Kobo (N54,125,083,468.48) or 30.38% of the total budget sum.
“Health will get N15,466,541,603.85, and Human Capital Development and Commerce and Industry will jointly share 8,016,088,324.70”.
“Education will receive a total of Twenty Seven Billion, and Ninety Seven Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty Eight Naira Sixty Nine Kobo (N27,097,262,388.69) or 15.21% of the total budget sum.
“Similarly, Health will receive a total of Fifteen Billion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Forty One Thousand Six Hundred and Three Naira Eighty Five Kobo (N15,466,541,603.85) or 8.68% of the total budget.
“Human Capital Development and Commerce and Industry will jointly receive the sum of Eight Billion and Sixteen Million, Eighty Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Twenty Four Naira Seventy (N 8,016,088,324.70) or 4.50% of the total sum. Agriculture will receive Three Billion, Seven Hundred and Sixty Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ten Naira Sixty Five (N3,769,742,710.65) or 2.13% of the budget.
“Security will receive Two Billion, Six Hundred and Seventy five Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N 2,675,500,000) or 1.5% of the budget sum, making a total of One Hundred and Eleven Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Million, Two Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Four Hundred and Ninety Six Naira Thirty Seven Kobo (N 111,150,218,496.37) or 62.40% of the budget sum allocated to the 6 critical sub-sectors.
“The recurrent expenditure of N46,080,516,990.04 is 25.87% of the total budget while capital expenditure of N132,056,117,985.38 is 74.13% of the total budget.
“The 2020 budget estimate will lift the economic development index of the state, consolidate on the gains of infrastructure and Human Capital Development and bring greater accomplishments in the transformation of the state”.
In a remark, the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, commended Governor David Umahi for his prudent management of state resources and assured that the House will give the budget speedy passage to enable the Governor continue with his developmental programmes.
The budget later passed first and second reading.
