Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has signed the N971 billion 2025 budget into law.
Mr Mbah presented the budget to the State Assembly in November and signed it into law on Tuesday after the assembly passed it.
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The budget comprises N837.9 billion for capital expenditure, representing 86 per cent of the budget, and a recurrent expenditure component of N133.1 billion, representing 14 per cent.
Signing into law
Mr Mbah, while signing the budget into law, thanked members of the Enugu House of Assembly for the speedy passage of the budget, describing it as a “huge Christmas gift” to the Enugu people.
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“What we proposed in the budget that you graciously passed, and we signed into law is going to boost our efforts and that march to our desired destination, which is that no person or child of this state will go to bed hungry,” he said.
“What we are witnessing here today is democracy in action. We christened our budget, ‘Budget of Exponential Growth and Inclusive Prosperity’, because it is at the heart of everything we do in the state.”
In attendance during the signing of the budget into law were members of the state assembly led by its Speaker, Uchenna Ugwu and Deputy Speaker, Ezenta Ezeani.
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Governor Mbah said his administration has adopted an exponential growth model as a growth strategy for stimulating development in the state.
“If you look at the development model adopted, it is one that takes into account the development challenges we have across our state because, as I have always said, we are only as good as our weakest link.
“So, we have a responsibility to make sure that nobody and no section of the state is left out,” he said.
Why the speedy passage of the budget
Speaking to reporters, the speaker of the assembly, Mr Ugwu, explained that the speedy passage of the budget was possible because lawmakers were involved in the budget preparation.
“We were part of the process that produced those figures in the first place because we were carried along.
“We did not have to change anything because behind closed-doors, we had done the job already before the budget was presented. So, there is no point in changing anything. The assurance to Ndi Enugu is that we shall continue to have it good,” he said.
The speaker praised Governor Mbah for the outstanding performance of the 2024 budget, assuring that the House would effectively exercise its oversight powers in implementing the 2025 budget.
“Now, if you look around Enugu, you can see the development that is happening everywhere in all sectors, including the education sector, health sector, the tourism sector, the road infrastructure, and indeed everything.
“It means that the governor’s promise to reduce poverty headcount to zero in Enugu State is realistic, and if you look at the budget, you can see that the information in the budget is akin to achieving that,” he said.
READ ALSO: Niger governor, Speaker greet Christians at Christmas
Why education sector got lion’s share
PREMIUM TIMES reports that in the 2025 budget, the education sector received N320.6 billion, representing over 33 per cent and the largest share of the total budget for the second consecutive year in Enugu State.
Reacting, the speaker argued that the governor allocated 33 per cent to the education sector to fight poverty in the state.
“If you have any intention to eradicate poverty, you have to make sure that the mind is educated. So, education is key.
“So, it means that he (Mbah) is very prepared to walk the talk because, without education, you are going nowhere as a nation,” he stated.
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