Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Rt. Hon. Eteng Jonah Williams has said the purpose for the appearance of MDAs before his committee was to allow them offer explanations for the need to adjust their proposed estimates in the 2016 supplementary budget.
Williams said this at the ongoing review of the 2016 supplementary budget estimate presented to the House by the State Department of Budget.
The Chairman maintained that the review become necessary in the view of the realities of the economic recession that is setting in and advised relevant MDAs to consider their proposed adjustments in line with the possibility to access funds between October and March, 2017 for the completion of their intended projects.
Williams who said the input of the MDAs was required since the Committee adjustments may not suit them, also called on the Chief Executives of the MDAs to bear in mind that the 2017 Appropriation Budget would be presented by His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade before the end of October 2016 and that they could roll over projects which funds will not be accessed before the implementation of the 2017 budget begins.
Speaking on the need to adjust the budgetary provisions for the State Electrification Agency , the Director General of the Agency, Dr. Jake Otu-Enya, a two time member of the State House of Assembly said he was seeking the consideration of the House of Assembly to approve an additional sum of N480million to enable the execution of projects mapped out for the 2016 fiscal year among which are electrification of Ebrutu communities and installation of transformers in the northern and central senatorial districts.
On his own part, the Commissioner for Education, Goddy Eta gave reasons for the adjustment of his ministry’s budget to include salary payment of primary school teachers, conduct of examinations, funding of scholarship programmes, comprehensive renovations of Secondary Schools and inspection of educational services.
In defence of her ministry proposed supplementary budget, Commissioner for Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Alice Ekwu disclosed that his Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade had approved additional Budgetary provision of N1.2billion as against N260million for the training of initial recruited 1,000 green police and fresh recruitment of additional 1,000 green Police, emolument and kitting up of the recruited personnel while N2.1billion is for the planting of 5million trees yearly.
Responding to questions from the committee, Commissioner for Gas and Petroleum, Rt. Hon. Itaya Nyong, immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, explained that issues that required adjustments in his ministry’s budget estimates include official accommodation for the ministry, fuel scarcity among others.
