Aniefiok Christopher
Akwa Ibom agencies and commission have bemoaned non release of their approved budget estimates as contained in the Appropriation Act for execution of capital projects.
Appearing before Akwa Ibom House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation to defend the actual expenditure for the 2022 fiscal year, they lamented that the state government has not disbursed funds to them for Capital Expenditure since 2019.
Top among them are Akwa Ibom State Law Reform Commission, Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited, State Life Enhancement Agency, Akwa Ibom Primary Healthcare Development Agency and Akwa Ibom Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency.
Despite government’s repeated promises to stimulate the economy to address negative impacts of decline in economic performances, the budget performances of these agencies have for years now fallen below the marginal line.
For example, the Akwa Ibom State Life Enhancement Agency and State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency, despite approved budget estimates consistently below five per cent of the total budget outlay, with direct bearings on citizens’ enhancement, have repeatedly received zero releases from 2019 till date.
The Akwa Ibom State Life Enhancement Agency had an approved budget estimate of N270.491 million for 2019 but got zero releases for the same year. About the same figure was again approved for the agency in the subsequent years by the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation headed by Mr. Uduak Odudoh with the same story of no releases.
The news is not different with Primary Healthcare Development Agency except for the fact that agency was considered in 2021 fiscal year when it received about N40 million for the renovation of the agency’s office touched during the “End-SARS Protest.”
Speaking before the Finance and Appropriation Committee, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Eno Attah revealed that staffers of the agency work under unconducive environments, explaining that most of the Primary Healthcare facilities have become dilapidated.
She, therefore, called on the State Government to intensify efforts towards the acquisition of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund of which she said will be of help when disbursed.
Attah thereafter presented the sum of N1.9 billion as the agency’s budget estimate for the 2022 fiscal year to carter for upkeep of about 93 health facilities in the State.
On his part, the Secretary, Akwa Ibom State Law Reform Commission, Mr. Eyo Asuquo stated that approved budgetary provisions for the Law Reform Commission has been grossly inadequate with zero releases from 2019 to 2021.
The Secretary, accompanied by a serving Commissioner, Barr. Imowo Okpokpo, said N100 million was approved for the Commission in 2019 but the allocation was not released while N50 million approved in 2020 was not also released and a further downward review sum of N34 million was budgeted for the Commission with no releases till date.
He then defended N34 million for the 2022 budget estimate about the same amount presented in 2021, while appealing for augmentation during the Committee’s mark up session to enhance the Commission’s responsibilities bordering on reviews of state Laws.
Speaking on the responsibilities of the Commission, the Secretary said Akwa Ibom Law Reform Commission is vested with the responsibilities of amending all the laws that have been enacted and operational in the State.
Mr. Asuquo lamented that some laws in Akwa Ibom State dates back to the 1900s and were hurriedly transmitted from Edit in the Military Era to Laws and presumed to be laws of Akwa Ibom State and they are still enforced in the state.
He further stated that most of such laws have in present day Akwa Ibom become obsolete and completely inapplicable.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Uduak Odudoh charged Heads of different MDAs to always make it a point of duty to occasionally liaise with the relevant committees for releases where necessary.
He also urged them to maintain a good working relationship with the supervising Ministry of the Commission for smooth operations for the next fiscal year.
He assured them of doing justice to their augmentation appeal at the mark up session as he enjoined them to collaborate with the Legislators over sighting the respective MDAs for a robust fiscal year.
