Undoubtedly, the financial status of the Imo state Government is in jeopardy following revelations that the present administration piloted by Owelle Rochas Okorocha is running the affairs of the State without a specified budget for year 2012. Strong indications that the executive is wilfully appropriating any amount it likes to execute projects and cater for sundry government expenditures came to fore recently when it was discovered that the N128b Appropriation Bill passed into law late June this year by the Imo State House of Assembly has not been signed into law by the Governor.
It would be recalled that on Wednesday June 27, 2012, the members of the Imo State House of Assembly at a Special session not only approved for the Governor a supplementary budget of N50b to be spent between that days to 30th of June (three days), but also passed into law a 2012 budget scheduled to gulp N128b. The 2012 budget is expected to commence from July 1, 2012.
However, two weeks after the Rt. Hon Ben Uwajumogu led House passed the 2012 Budget Bill into law, there is no news, or report about the signing into law of the budget by Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Ominous sign that all is not well with the financial position of the State emerged last week as the executive who found out the details of the 2012 budget confusing and unacceptable surreptitiously returned it to the State lawmakers for repackaging.
It was learnt that those in charge of the budget in Imo State House of Assembly could not arrange the budget in a proper manner before presenting it to the Governor for his seal so as to make it operational for the current financial year.
A senior legislative officer, who is a chamber staff in the House, was reported to have picked the volumes of the budget details from the government for re–appraisal.
It was further gathered that a former clerk of House, (names withheld) removed from the State Assembly at the wake of this present administration and redeployed to one of the ministries as permanent secretary has been contacted to add tactical expertise to the budget preparation.
The former clerk said to be a budget expert having worked in the State Legislature for several years and was in charge of the Budget and Appropriation Committee, our reporter gathered is handling the repackaging of the budget with other legislative clerks in place of the present clerk who is said not to be grounded with legislative exercises of this magnitude.
When contacted on the development, the Special Adviser, Media to the Speaker, Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha promised to reach our reporter for reaction. As at press time, no response has been received.
