Tobi Soniyi
Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has assented to the revised Abia State 2020 Budget of N102,660,432,904.00 (One hundred and two billion, Six hundred and sixty million, four hundred and thirty two thousand, nine hundred and four naira only) recently passed into law by the state House of Assembly.
A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos, said the governor thanked the legislators for the expeditious passage of the revised budget.
He stated that Abia, like other states across the federation, faced economic stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the present economic reality called for all hands to be on deck in securing the socio-economic future of the state.
The governor further highlighted some of the measures taken by his administration to mitigate the economic effect of the pandemic with emphasis on improvements in agriculture and industrial production.
Ikpeazu also commended the seveth Abia State House of Assembly for being partners in progress with the executive arm of government, noting that such a healthy relationship accounts for why Abia is still the most peaceful and politically stable state in Nigeria.
The state chief executive, who narrated his recent experience with COVID-19, said the pandemic was a pointer that sickness is a universal phenomenon, insisting that the virus is real and can be avoided if necessary safety measures are complied with.
Speaking earlier, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Chinedum Orji, thanked God for the divine healing of Ikpeazu, and prayed to God to keep upholding him in the course of governance.
The Speaker, who also presented three other bills passed by the House to the governor, used the occasion to inform the governor that the seventh House of Assembly would be embarking on a short recess, restating the commitment of the House to keep providing the legislative leverage upon which the state would continue to advance
