GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has presented the 2019 budget proposal of N109,199,243 billion to the State House of Assembly for consideration.
Ugwuanyi who presented the budget on Monday explained that the Capital expenditure gets N43, 493, 343,000. 00 representing 39.8 per cent of the budget proposal while recurrent expenditure stood at N69,705,900,000.00 representing 60.2 per cent of the budget.
In the sectoral allocation, N633,000,000 million was budgeted for agriculture while N2.34 billion was for health and N5.55 billion was set aside for education.
According to him, the budget, tagged “Budget of Peace, Equity and Prosperity” is significant in the life of his administration, adding that his regime had implemented 2018 up to 85 per cent which he noted had taken development to the urban and rural communities.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used the opportunity to reel out the achievements of his administration in the last three years which included massive rehabilitation of roads both in urban and rural areas as well as in health facilities, agriculture and education.
Ugwuanyi who received applause from the audience intermittently said the state remains one of the most peaceful and safest states in the country, stressing that his administration had invested heavily in agriculture as well as ensuring that no family in the state goes to bed with an empty stomach.
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“To ensure the security of lives and property in the state, the government has procured 77 vehicles to the police and Siena buses for the neighbourhood watch to complement the security in the rural communities.
“We want to make sure that no family goes to sleep without food, this while this administration has mapped out various agricultural programs to ensure adequate food production,” he said.
He said that the government in the last three years has been paying salaries and pensions regularly adding that they set aside N1.2 billion monthly for the payment of gratuity.
In the area of health, Ugwuanyi said that the government has reconstructed and upgraded seven general hospitals in Oji-River, Awgu, Udi, Enugu Ezike, Agbani and Nsukka.
The governor further said that his administration had procured the state of art equipment for the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospitals, which include; four baby incubators while accreditation for ESUT College of Medicine was secured.
He noted that the medical diagnostic centre has been completed and the 2019 budget would see to the installations of facilities at the centre.
On workers’ welfare, the governor announced a 13th-month salary for all categories of workers in the state employ, reiterating the commitment of his government towards the improvement of the lives of the people.
In his speech, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, commended the governor for his laudable achievements, noting that there have been a cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature in the State since May 29, 2015, he assumed office.
He prayed the governor returns in 2019 for another term in office for the continuation of his developmental projects in the state, stressing that he is a God sent.
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