By Onyekachi Eze
An erstwhile parliamentarian and the former Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly representing Isiala Mbano State Constituency, Rt. Hon Chiji Collins PhD, has eulogized Governor Hope Uzodimma for an articulated 2022 budget estimate.
Chiji described the budget as people oriented and grassroot motivated.
Speaking on the floor of the House yesterday, December 20, 2021, during a special sitting, the Ex Speaker disclosed that from his first time as a Lawmaker, to when he was a Speaker of the 9th House, he never saw a budget genuinely prepared to serve the needs of the people, like the one just submitted by the Governor last week.
He argued that while as a Speaker, the House of Assembly approved budgets for successive administrations, but none of those represented the feelings of the common man in the society.
Chiji said, never has it been heard that a Governor during budget presentation tendered the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, except Governor Hope Uzodimma who just did while presenting the 2022 appropriation Bill last Friday.
The soft spoken Chiji in enthusiasm submitted that the turn out of the House Members during the budget presentation was top notch, which has neither been recorded in the history of Imo State for over a decade now, nor witnessed.
He maintained that it signify a lot and his wide acceptance to the people’s budget.
According to the Isiala Mbano born Lawmaker, what Uzodimma just did, the manner he included all the Ministries, Agencies, MDAs and Parastatals could only be traceable to a devout Leader, ready to serve the people in spirit and in truth.
Speaking as the newly appointed House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Health, Chiji lauded the Governor for placing the health of Ndi Imo first, following the percentage mapped out in the proposed budget to tackle health challenges in the State.
He opined that every responsible Government would not afford to jeopardize the health of the citizenry, hence Uzodimma’s desire that Imolites would live a healthy life.
Apart from the inclusion of relevant ministries and agencies, Uzodimma was thumbed up for engaging every community in a parley, which he said formed part of the budget.
In furtherance, Chiji expressed optimism that by the time the House approves the appropriation Bill, every nook and cranny of the State would be bubbling with massive development.
In a related development, the former number one Imo Lawmaker has congratulated the emergence of Dr. Prosper Ohayagha Success Obinna as the latest Imo State Commissioner for Health.
He attributed his emergence as a welcome development, especially as he demonstrated his penchant for saving lives.
Chiji recalled that at the heat of Covid-19, Dr. Ohayagha exhibited high sense of patriotism and dedication to duty.
On that note, he extolled the Governor for his visionary eye in fishing out the best professionals to serve in his cabinet.
Rt. Hon Chiji therefore enjoined the public to be hopeful of a blazing, prosperous 2022 fiscal year.
