Okowa Signs N479bn 2022 Appropriation Bill Into Law

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The Delta State 2022 Appropriation Bill of N479 billion was on Thursday signed into law by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who reiterated the determination of his administration to finish strong in spite of the financial challenges in the country.

Governor Okowa also signed five other Bills, including Delta State House of Assembly Service Establishment Bill 2021, Delta State Registration of Community Development Associations Bill 2021, Delta State Debt Management Bill 2021, Delta State Erosion and Watershed Management Bill 2021 and Asaba Specialist Hospital Bill 2021.

Signing the Appropriation Bill, the governor assured the people that the government would strive to complete all ongoing projects as well as implement capital projects contaained in the 2022 Budget.

He commended the House of Assembly for the prompt passage of the appropriation bill, saying that early assent to the Bill would avail the government ample opportunity to fine-tune plans for its implementation at beginning of the year.

Okowa said: “We thank God for the good work the House has done; the very important one is the Delta State Appropriation Bill 2022, now signed into law. I must thank the House for giving speedy attention to the Bill because with the signing into law today, it will help us to plan and to start early in 2022.

“I want to reassure Deltans that we will continue to do our best. We are very much aware that there are financial challenges in the country today, but we will continue to do our best within the limits of the resources available.

“We are very much hopeful that there will be a turnaround in 2022, and I hope that we will be able to execute the capital projects that are contained in our budget, both the new ones and the ongoing before the end of our tenure.”

On the Delta State Erosion and Watershed Management Agency Bill, Okowa said that the law would enable the government to tackle erosion and flooding issues in the state head-on.

“I want to also appreciate you for the passage of the Delta State Erosion and Watershed Management Agency Bill, signed into law.

“We are very much aware that there is a lot of devastation in the ecosystem in some parts of our state. This is following through the advice that was given to us by the World Bank.”

He further said adding that the Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission Amendment Bill was very important for the smooth running of the service of the House of Assembly.

On Asaba Specialist Hospital Bill, the governor said that the law was very key to the effective management of the hospital to enhance universal health coverage in the state. “This law is very important to us because we have decided that there is a need to have a separate law governing the establishment of this hospital. And, I can attest to the fact that there is a lot of decency and commitment in the management of the hospital.

“There’s obviously a public-private-partnership in the management of the hospital and I know that it’s been helping our people a lot.

“They have rendered quality services to the people since they opened for operation in 2020 and I thank God for the basic and specialist health services they have provided for Deltans and non-Deltans who live in the state.”

Moreover, the governor said Delta State Debt Management Law seeks to regulate and manage the State’s borrowing and debt portfolio in line with international best practices, saying that “it seeks to establish the Debt Management Department in the Ministry of Finance.

“It is one of the requirements to ensure the functionality of the Ministry of Finance as it concerns the debt management of the state.

It is our hope that this particular department would be able to manage the debt of the state even beyond my tenure.”

“Another important bill is the one to regulate the activities, operations and leadership structures of development association in the state.

“Like the Speaker had earlier said, there are many of our communities where people tend to ignore even the constitutions written by the communities and lord themselves over other persons in the community.

“To make them more functional and to ensure that these associations are tenured and that people will no longer lord themselves over others in the communities, even against the constitution that brought them into power.

Presenting the Bills, the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Sherrif Oborevwori, said that the Bill went through all legislative process before being passed.

“I am confident that the budgetary provisions for 2022 will meet the yearnings of our people and the developmental needs of the State, because it is indeed a realistic budget,” Oborevwori said.