AKWA IBOM LAGOS LODGE: the crux of the matter

BY ONOFIOK LUKE

As one of the persons whose interest area in the Akwa Ibom project hinges fundamentally on our collective
wellness and viability, and the much sought after new Akwa Ibom, it behoves me to express concern over the criticisms in some quarters, the hue and cry, and the attendant discordant theories of statecraft that have been postulated ever since the need for a befitting governor’s
lodge in Lagos was expressed by government.

The trend of discourse, since the rumoured figure of N9.1billion and the likes were touted in diverse media outlets as concrete visible sum earmarked for the building of a lodge in Lagos, has taken epidemic proportions capable of tearing to shreds the fabrics of our unity as
one people made indivisible by God.

In the first instance, I want to believe that the issue of the N9.1billion rumour has been put to rest since it is by now clear that no such amount was ever proposed.

The state legislature in discharging its statutory duty deliberated on the supplementary budget estimates and
duly approved N700million as an augmentation on the initial N500million which was proposed by the state executive in the 2017 appropriation bill.

This brings the total estimated budget for the construction of the proposed lodge to N1.2billion.

At this juncture, some other salient issues must be properly addressed to give understanding to the people in the light of the numerous distortions. I wish that this input of mine will be read and digested calmly with an open mind devoid of bias, prejudice and with an objective
insight into the crux of the matter herein.

To start with, a budget is a proposal that carries in it government intention to carry out certain responsibilities especially projects and other necessities of the people over a set period of time taking into consideration the fiscal implications of these projects, available funds at hand and funds accruable in anticipation during the set period.

It is a well known fact that projects require larger fiscal commitments and as such, in keeping with due process and accountability, laid down procedures must be followed before such projects are executed.

To begin the process, there is what is called the Finance and General Purposes Committee of the state government.

As one of its primary responsibilities, the
committee openly declares and brings to public notice any project that is proposed to be executed by issuing tenders for bidding by capably qualified contractors.

Note that calls for bidding only take place when the government has the funds to execute such project.

Where there are no funds, such project remains a mere budgetary proposal.

To ensure that the government operates within the lines of fiscal responsibility and managerial rationality, the House of Assembly earlier this year passed into law the fiscal responsibility bill.

This fiscal responsibility law assures of prudent management of our state funds,
promotes the stability of our economy both in the medium and long term, and institutes a greater level of accountability and transparency in government fiscal
operations.

The law also seeks the establishment of a
Fiscal Responsibility Commission in the state, the body which will be saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the state economic blueprint and objectives.

It is worthy of note that the fiscal responsibility commission will underpin successive government commitment to the harmonization of our commonwealth towards the actualization of the state economic agenda.

The implication therefore is that the award of contracts must be done with utmost transparency and in tandem with
the state medium and long-term expenditure framework.

This law will help check any profligacy and guide expenditure within formally specified and reasonable limits.

Again, when government budgets for a project, it does not mean immediate execution of such project but a routine expression of intention presented as a proposal to the legislature for ratification.

A clear example of this is the federal government budget of N6billion for the
dualization of Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road which work is yet to concretely begin five months to the end of the
2017 fiscal year.

That this sum was budgeted for the
dualization project did not imply an immediate implementation but an expression of government's intention to dualize the road.

Coming back to the supplementary budget in focus, there are numerous other government programmes targeted for implementation before the end of the year.

These priority programmes have received government attention as most of them are witnessing ongoing execution.

Every government project and programme implemented is determined by a scale of preference and the availability of funds.

An instance is the N10billion proposed for various programmes in the agricultural sector of the state.

Among other planned interventions in this vast sector is the Agricultural Development Programme for farmers
with a provision of N556million.

There is also a provision for housing, of which social housing is a component, a programme for which the House of Assembly recently proposed a legislation. On economic development, government has budgeted N5billion to stimulate the state economy through certain
economic activities.

The budget also makes ample provisions for the renovation of schools, hospitals, and other infrastructures captured under the inter-ministerial Direct Labour jobs.

Government has already renovated
numerous schools with a strong desire to increase the tempo in the coming months to cater for other school infrastructures begging for attention.

Still within this supplementary budget, government has made a provision of N50billion for road infrastructures, bridges and drainages.

There are also proposed intervention programmes within the health sector embedded in the supplementary proposal
approved by the state legislature.

There is a budgetary provision for the optimal operation of all the general
hospitals in the state as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

The power sector in the state has recently received a boost with the inauguration of a power generation station at 4-Lanes by Nwaniba Road in Uyo which has brought tremendous improvement in power supply in the state
capital.

Also, the Ekim sub-power station will be
completed and put to use to complement the one at 4- lanes.

This portends better days for artisans, technicians and other electricity consumers in the state.

Noteworthy also is the fact that in the 2017 supplementary budget in question is a N3billion proposal for recurrent expenditure, the target of which is the
payment of all outstanding entitlements and emoluments of workers.

We are aware that with the initial approval of the 2017 budget, the state executive has begun payments of gratuities in batches.

The House of Assembly approved the N3billion proposed for recurrent expenditure in the supplementary budget with the assurance that government will continue to make outstanding payments
of workers entitlements which include pensions and gratuities.

These are just a few among other plausible intentions of government that were captured in the supplementary
budget that was passed.

They are other areas which are competing for scarce resources and considering their direct impact on the masses, they are top on government
scale of preference with top priority status.

The obvious must also be stated that no matter the high priority rate that a budget attracts, it is only practicable with the availability of funds.

I deem it imperative at all times to reach out to fellow Akwa Ibomites within and outside the state in love and solidarity whenever the opportunity offers itself with a message that we should all be armed with the dream and tools of building a greater Akwa Ibom for the succeeding generation standing by to take over from us.

We must know that this vision becomes blurred when our mentality is distorted by vague exaggerations, hate, pernicious
propaganda and bitterness.

We cannot afford to keep moving in concentric circles while others out there are growing in leaps and bounds.

Every government has a vision which is borne by the visioner – in our case, the governor, HE Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel.

It is the responsibility of the state
legislature to lend its support legislatively to the executive as personified by the governor as well as in the discharge
of its oversight roles as they impact positively on the masses.

Yes, as lawmakers and humans, we appreciate the concerns of the people on what should be the policy thrust and priorities of government.

We also do believe and appeal that such concerns should not be misapplied or
mis-expressed as a result of an aspect of government intention or policy which has haphazardly been misconstrued by observers without first exhausting the
existing avenues for clarification.

Rather, we should advance our arguments for or against government having made a holistic assessment of its efforts across all critical sectors.

These assessments should be based on tangible facts other than rumours, hearsays and, as in recent cases, pure lies and unthinkable fabrications.

We welcome opposition voices as these add vitality to our democracy but they should be constructive rather than image
trampling.

The House of Assembly will neither try to
please anybody (except the overall interest of Akwa Ibom people)by playing to the gallery nor be cowed by voices
which do not express knowledge of a given situation with the aim of offering better alternatives to our actions.

In conclusion, let me reiterate that the state House of Assembly had approved a total augmented budget estimate of N1.2billion for the construction of a lodge in Lagos.

Although the proposed lodge is not going to be prioritised over competing issues of education, health care delivery and other social services, we do believe that the
arguments made for the lodge are worth everybody’s objective reflection.

In all these, since the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly remains the clearing-house of government business, the concerns of the people with regards to the lodge will be taken into consideration in
the 2018 budget proposal of the state.

Interestingly, the dissenting voices that we have today did not arise when
government openly presented the initial N500million proposal in December 2016. Perhaps this issue would have been exhaustively thrashed out at the public hearing on the 2017 budget which was held on January 11 this year, if our friends, especially those on the social media, had turned up, even if it was for one hour, to make inputs into the 2017 Appropriation Bill.

For now, the state Assembly stands by the figures which we approved as supplementary to the 2017 budget, including the budgeted N1.2billion for the construction of a lodge whenever funds are available.

Onofiok Luke
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly