Governor Emmanuel signs N672 billion Akwa Ibom budget into law

The Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Wednesday signed the 2019 budget of the state into law.

Mr Emmanuel recently won re-election for a second term.

The budget passed for implementation is N672 billion.

The signing ceremony at the Government House, Uyo, was witnessed by the leadership of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, led by the Deputy Speaker, Felicia Bassey, according to a government house press statement.

The Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, and the Commissioner for Finance, Linus Nkan, were also present at the brief ceremony.

The budget, christened “Budget of Industrialisation for Poverty Alleviation” is intended to help actualise the industrialisation and job creation agenda of the administration, the finance commissioner, Mr Nkan, told reporters at Government House after the signing ceremony.

The Commissioner for Education, Victor Inoka, told reporters that the governor has granted approval for the state’s college of education to become a degree-awarding institution.

Mr Inoka, a professor, said that the college was now affiliated to the University of Uyo.

In the draft presented to the state House of Assembly in November last year by Governor Emmanuel, roads, works and transport was allocated N157.31 billion, the biggest sum in the budget.

N53.6 billion was proposed for housing and urban renewal, while N13 billion was for agriculture.

About N15 billion was for education, and N10 billion for law and justice.

Akwa Ibom is one of Nigeria’s richest states. Its budget is funded largely from oil derivation fund.