Abia gets 3 speakers in 24-hrs ·As new speaker emerges

BARELY 24 hours after the Abia State House of Assembly impeached its Speaker, the new Speaker Bishop Kennedy Njoku on Friday bows out, citing personal reasons for his resignation. Honourable Chikwendu Kalu, the member representing Isiala Ngwa South subsequently emerged the new Speaker and received the budget presented by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

Njoku on Thursday replaced Martins Azubuike as the Speaker of the 6th Abia House of Assembly but resigned shortly before the budget presentation by the Governor.

Presenting the 2017 budget of N102,559,340,283, christened “Budget of Prudence and Self Reliance” Governor  Okezie Ikpeazu said it was 3.14 decrease over the 2016 outlay.

While he put the recurrent expenditure at N57,364,207,283, the capital expenditure is N45, 185,133,000.00 even as the overhead cost is N15,904,612,014.00. According to the Governor the budget would be sourced from internal revenue of N21,950,340,283.00 and external revenue of  N61,200,000,000.

He said, notwithstanding the bleak economic situation in the country, “we intend to intensify our efforts to ensure our IGR is improved upon. The strategy of Direct Bank lodgment of electronic collection system through the banks to capture and confirm all payments made to the state is paying off and we are going to consolidate on that.

“The 2017 budget has an estimated outlay of N102,549,340,283. This shows 3.14% decrease over the 2016 outlay of N105,875,924,320,” Ikpeazu said, adding, “we are not expecting an increase in the revenue accruing to the state,” because of the dwindling revenue accruing to the country from oil.

He said priority would be given to agriculture, infrastructure, economic sector, commerce and industry, health education, among others.

Receiving the budget, the Speaker, Rt Hon Chikwendu Kalu promised to give accelerated consideration to it.

Meanwhile, shortly after presentation of the budget, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu inaugurated 28 room offices complex of the Abia State House of Assembly.

Also, the elected speaker, Rt. Hon. Chikwendu Enyinnaya Kalu promised to carry his members along, adding that his leadership would witness dramatic change as he prayed for the cooperation of the assembly members.