* budgets N5bn to service state’s aircraft in 2022
Ubong Sampson – Uyo
The 2022 budget proposal recently presented by the government of Akwa Ibom state has raised series of questions and concerns. Among other questionable allocations made by the government in the budget, is a proposed N2.5bn for an already commissioned project.
The said project, a 21 storey building constructed by the Udom Emmanuel led government, was commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo on September 24, 2021 amidst fanfare and wide publicity as part of activities to mark the state’s 34th anniversary.
The said building which was raised as part of the industrialisation agenda of the incumbent administration, was, according to the government, ready to accommodate high profile investors, as well as the corporate headquarters of oil interest firms operating in the state.
This has raised questions from citizens and civil society groups regarding why the government would earmark N2.5bn for a project it claimed was completed and commissioned amidst fanfare.
Also spotted in the budget which the governor presented to the state legislature on October 25, 2021, is a N5bn sum earmarked for the servicing of the state’s aircraft, while another N5bn is earmarked for the international worship center after N5bn was earlier spent on same project in the 2020, and N6.5bn esrmarked fiscal for it in the 2021 fiscal years.
The worship centre project has attracted series of questioning and criticisms from citizens, especially considering that the governor had said during the foundation laying of the project that its funding would be from voluntary contributions rather than from the state’s treasury.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had, during a public hearing of the 2022 Appropriation Bill at the State House of Assembly, asked the legislature to probe the entry of N3.58 billion as personnel costs for the budget office in 2022, while noting that the value is not reflective of the staff strength of the said MDA.
The NLC who presented its position through its Chairperson in the state, Comrade Sunny James, also accused the state government of not showing transparency in the management of public funds, thus challenging the House to probe the N30.7 billion COVD-19 responsive expenditure in the 2021 fiscal year against the provision of public procurement.
The union equally expressed worry over Akwa Ibom being the most indebted state in the country on a per capita basis, stressing that such liabilities include the N28 billion debt owed retired primary school teachers as well as arrears of gratuities of the core civil service polling the total indebtedness to retirees at over N50 billion.
“We urge the House of Assembly to interrogate the entry of N3.58 billion as personnel costs for the budget office in 2022. We have observed that this value is not reflective of the staff strength of the said MDA.
“Our flagship Ibom Airport Development, going by the summaries of 2022 proposals would not be able to operate at break-even level in 2022. The total revenue from the services of the airport is pegged at N437.356 million, which is swarmed by the anticipated personnel costs for the same period of N670.892 million and overheads of N6220 million.
“An analysis of the major investment agencies and public corporations of the state government, namely, Akwa Ibom State Investment Corporation, Akwa Ibom State Property and Investment Company (APICO), etc reveals the same trend for 2022. While APICO will generate N30 million in revenue for 2022, its personnel and overheads for the same period are N349 million.
“The non-income generating worship centre will in 2022 receive N5 billion. This is in addition to the N6.7 billion appropriated for the same project in 2021 and N5 billion expended on the same project in 2020 fiscal years, thus bringing total expenditure on the project to N16.75 billion over the period 2020-2022,” the NLC’s statement partly read.
