…As IMHA Majority Leader, Kanayo Onyemaechi Explains Why It’s Tagged “Budget Of Expansion And Economic Opportunity”
By Onyekachi Eze
Itineraries for successful, prosperous and economic boost of Imo State in the 2025 fiscal year had begun, with the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma signing the 2025 appropriation bill into law.
The governor had on December 23, 2024 presented the 2025 budget estimate to the Imo State Legislature.
For adequate legislative scrutiny, the Imo State Assembly on Monday, December 30, 2024, in a special sitting passed the bill after the second reading, Committee of the Whole House and third readings, respectively.
Reintroducing the budget for the second reading, the Majority Leader, representing Owerri West State Constituency, Rt Hon Kanayo Onyemaechi, highlighted that the 2025 budget aptly captured all the critical sectors of the economy.
He averred that just as it was tagged “Budget of Expansion and Economic Opportunity”, Imo State is open for fresh human, capital and infrastructural development.
The Majority Leader reiterated that majority percentage in the budget is hinged on capital project, which accommodates all the key sectors for a better administration of Imo State in all facets.
Hon Onyemaechi said, capital projects captured in the 2025 budget like the;
1. Speeding up the dredging of Orashi Lake.
2. The Construction of Oguta Free Trade Zone.
3. The Orashi Electricity Generation Company.
4. The Engr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Conference centre, EIICC.
5. The Control Post flyover which is under construction.
6. The Rehabilitation of Imo Concorde Hotel.
7. The Avu Poultry Farm; amongst others, will be judiciously completed.
Onyemaechi added, the budget will make all set goals work.
“The Orashi electricity company will be boosted up through the budget. By 2025, Ndi Imo will bid epileptic power supply farewell. Days of darkness will soon be a thing of the past.
“We have a governor who has the interest of Imolites at heart.
“The Assumpta Cathedral flyover which will be the first ever completed flyover in Imo State will be among the capital projects to behold in 2025”.
Also speaking, the Owerri West result oriented Lawmaker thumbed up for governor Uzodimma, stressing that for many years, Ndi Imo have been yearning for renovation of the Imo Concorde Hotel for boost in the hospitality and tourism industry, not until Uzodimma deemed it expedient to reconstruct it.
“By next year, Adapalm will be reinvigorated that Imo might start exporting palm produce”.
Rt Hon Kanayo Onyemaechi while still throwing more lights on the budget pointed out that if the above capital projects as captured in the budget are completed, it will;
1. Create employment opportunities for the teeming Imo Youths.
2. Enhance the revenue base of the state for further investments.
3. Attract Tourism and other investments in Imo.
Inclusive and also captured in the budget as pointed by the Majority Leader include;
a. The running cost of Government departments and Institutions.
a. Availability of salaries of Imo Workers.
Expatiating further, Onyemaechi submitted that further projects in the pipeline awaiting completion and aptly captured in the budget is the reactivation of the Avutu poultry farm, government amnesty in Orlu.
More so, the governor was commended for continuously paying a 13th month salary to Imo State Civil Servants, assuring that 2025 will record more.
Earlier during presentation, the budget had a total of ₦755,588,041,220b, until an upward review by the State House of Assembly to Eight Hundred and Seven Billion, Eighty-Eight Million, Forty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Naira (N807,088,041,220).
“Capital allocation: Six Hundred and Ninety-Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Six Million, Forty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Naira (N694,786,041,220) (86.09%)
“Recurrent allocation: One Hundred and Twelve Billion, Three Hundred and Two Million Naira (N112,302,000,000) (13.91%)”.
