Imo Assembly boycotts 2018 budget presentation

The seemingly political crisis rocking the Imo State Executive and the legislature played out as the members of the State House of Assembly boycotted the 2018 budget presentation slated for Tuesday.

The state government had consistently been announcing the budget 2019 presentation christened “Budget of consolidation II” through the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemedo.

According to Mr. Onwuemedo, that state governor was expected to mention some of his achievement in the last six years.
The Daily Times recalled that Governor Okorocha on December 23, 2016 presented a budget of N132 billion for 2017 fiscal year.

The Daily Times reports that members of the state Assembly including the Speaker on Tuesday boycotted the 2018 budget presentation alleging that they were not officially communicated that state budget would be presented to them on Tuesday.

When our correspondent visited the House of Assembly along Port Harcourt Road, at about 10.30 am some members of state Executive members have already taken their seats waiting for the arrival of the state governor to their greatest surprise both the speaker and his colleagues were nowhere to be found.

Some of the state legislators who spoke to The Daily Times on condition anonymity said that they only hear about 2018 budget presentation on the radio. They described the action of the executive as an insult to the legislature.

“Enough is enough, the executive have taken us for granted and we will no longer tolerate further act of disrespect on the part of the executive our action may have sent a signed to executive on its excess”.

However, in a press release, the CPS to the governor, Mr. Onwuemedo said that the 2018 budget postponement was as a result of discrepancies discovered in the budget speech.

“We utmost regret, we wish to inform the public the announced presentation of the 2018 budget to Imo state House of Assembly by Governor Rochas Okorocha fixed for Tuesday 28, 2017 could no longer hold owing largely to disturbing discrepancies discovered in the budget speech”.

Also reacting, the committee chairman information, Mr. Kennedy Ibeh said that there are lot of typographic errors in the budget speech its pagination and as such the House frowned at it.

Val Okara, Owerri