Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has signed into law the state’s 2025 Appropriation Bill of Seven hundred and fifty billion, two hundred and eighty-two million, two hundred thousand naira (750,282, 200,000).
Assenting the bill, Governor Otti lauded members of the House of Assembly “for giving the bill an accelerated hearing and passage,” noting that the budget would give the administration the impetus to deliver on its promises.
“This budget will give us the impetus to continue to fire on all cylinders to ensure that our people are living a good life. And I want to thank the leadership of the House for passing it in record time.
“I want to laud you for being thorough. That’s actually what our government is about. We pride ourselves as a serious-minded administration. So, anything we present, we are ready for scrutiny,
“I also commend you for the great job you did in scrutinising the budget, disagreeing in a few areas, and also being flexible enough to accept when reasonable responses are given,” Otti stated.
He further explained that the budget demonstrates the administration’s push for infrastructure development “by allocating 82 percent of the entire budget to capital expenditures”.
“Our push for infrastructure development is demonstrated in it because when you have capital expenditure over 80 percent, it speaks to what you want to do with infrastructure, things that would out-last all of us”.
Presenting the bill to the governor earlier, the speaker of the House, Emmanuel Emeruwa described it as very aggressive, expressing delight that it will go along way to address many issues.
Emeruwa, who assured that the members would continue to work with the executive “to ensure the state progresses,” added that “with the budget, the state would continue to grow from strength to strength”.