By Onyinyechi Anakaulo
The Imo State House of Assembly on June 4th held a special valedictory session, as part of its activities marking the termination of the seventh House. The Seventh Assembly is expected to usher in the eight House that would be inaugurated on Wednesday, June 10, 2015.
Addressing the House while making his Valedictory Speech, Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu commended efforts of the assembly in ensuring that the seventh house of the state’s assembly was instrumental to the good governance recorded by Gov. Rochas Okorocha’s administration noting that good governance is measured by the positive impact on the governed.
The out-going Speaker Uwajumogu further stated that the outgoing house also achieved legislative excellence within the last four-years in the state, having Okayed a four year capital budget (rolling budget) for the governor which facilitated the Rescue Government Monumental achievements in the area of massive road construction and infrastructural development among others in the state.
Speaker Uwajumogu however commended all outgoing honourable members of the House of Assembly for their unrelenting efforts towards the sustainability of democracy via legislative excellence in the state, even as he welcomed the incoming state lawmakers as well as urged them to sustain the tempo of good governance, using the legislature as the pillar of democracy.
In the same vein. The state House of Assembly passed a bill for a law to appropriate the sum of N124,590,324,395 (one hundred and twenty four billion, five hundred and ninety million, three hundred and twenty four thousand, three hundred and ninety five naira) to the service of the government of Imo State of Nigeria for the year ending on December 31th, 2015, and for other related purposes.
Considering the bill for third reading as passed during committee of the whole house, the House informed that the budget excludes the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) charges of N18.724.170.603 (eighteen billion, seven hundred and twenty four million one hundred and seventy thousand, six hundred and three naira only) hence a total budget of N141, 219,133,849 (one hundred and forty one billion, two hundred and nineteen million, one hundred and thirty three thousand eight hundred and forty nine naira only. The appropriation bill awaits Governor Okorocha’s assent.
