2013 Appropriation Bill Enters C’ttee Stage

Rivers State House of Assembly has committed the 2013 Appropriation Bill into the various standing Committees of the House to facilitate sectoral analysis of the budget estimates.

Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, allowed the bill to move to committee stage, after exhaustive debates at its second reading and urged the lawmakers to commence work immediately for quick conclusion.

Hon. Amachree advised the committees to invite commissioners and relevant heads of government departments to defend their estimates.

The speaker indicated that any person who refused to honour the invitation should be reported to the House for necessary sanctions including zero allocation to the sector.

He thanked the lawmakers for their cooperation and urged them to work assiduously to enable the House pass the budget in record time.

“It is important that we conclude the budget soon to allow government fund on-going road projects and other infrastructure, particularly now that we have dry weather,” Hon. Amachree stated.

Leading debate on the Appropriation, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, justified the performance of the 2012 budget approved by the House, noting that government efforts in agriculture, education and health was in tandem with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Hon. Augustine Ngo, representing Abua/Odual, urged the Assembly to carry out serious oversight functions to ensure that funds appropriated were applied properly by the operators.

Hon. Ngo, expressed happiness that the long awaited Abua/Odual Road had been reflected in the current budget proposal but regretted that out of about N8 billion projected, only a paltry sum of N200m was provided in the budget estimate for the 2013.

On his part, Hon. Michael Okey-Chinda, Obio/Akpor 11, said the budget did not provide for improvement in existing government secondary schools in the state as most of the schools are dilapidated inspite of huge provisions in the education sector.

He also urged the government to intervene in the housing sector that had suffered neglect within the past years, adding that efforts be made to complete all on-going roads projects in the state.

The Deputy Leader and member representing Ahoada East 1, Hon. Nname Ewor, said the 2013 budget ignored the people of the area, as only a negligible percentage of money was allocated to the constituency.

“My people are not part of the 2013 budget, I want to register the displeasure of my constituents as nothing meaningful was allocated to the area, the Assembly should therefore send back the budget estimates to the executive arm”, Hon. Ewor declared.

Meanwhile, the screening of Mr. Dickson Omunakwe, a Commissioner nominee to replace the sacked Commissioner for Special Duties was again postponed to Monday next week when the House reconvenes for business.