Enugu budget to end recession —Lawmakers

MEMBERS of the Enugu State House of Assembly have hailed the state’s 2017 budget appropriation, saying that the budget, if properly implemented, would end recession in the state and also bring hope to the people of the state.

Making contribution on the floor of the House Tuesday, on the appropriation bill whose debate was shelved last week, members appraised the 2016 budget, but gave kudos to the 2017 budget  which they said was   all embracing and capable of lifting the state high.

The budget tagged, “budget of economic recovery and inclusive development,” the members posited, would bring a lot of goodies to the state this year as it was higher than the previous year’s which was over N85 billion as against the 2017 budget put at over N105 billion.

Contributing to the debate on the passage of the Bill into law, leader of the House, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, said that last year’s budget faired well because of prudent management of resources including the House members’ commitment to carrying out their oversight functions well to see that the budget was implemented to the letter.

Ezeugwu, however, opined that this year’s budget would even help to improve lives and provide property in the state if followed with the same commitment on the side of the executive and the legislature and prayed his colleagues to give it accelerated passage.

On his own contribution, member representing Uzo-Uwani Constituency, Hon John Kevin Ukuta, posited that if the budget was implemented as usual, it was capable of ending recession in the state.

“It is a budget, if properly implemented, will bring us out of recession,” Ukuta said.

The member representing Udi South, Honourable Bismark Eneh, said that the 2017 budget would bring hope to the people of the state and thanked the state governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for coming up with such budget that would bring the state out of economic woes.

Eneh said that some people were sceptical about how the state would be able to generate funds to march such huge budget, but opined that with the money expected to be raised from the Paris and London clubs which was about N25 billion as well as the expected increased internally generated revenue, the budget would be financed without tears.

Further debate was, however, deferred on the budget estimate to the next sitting.