The office of Secretary to State Government has successfully defended its 2024 budget.
Speaking at the budget defence held at the Abia State Planning Conference Room, Umuahia, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, commended the effort of the chairman and members of the 2024 State Budget Committee for their commitment to ensuring that budget processes are properly followed so that realistic Budget document is made available regularly to the government to carry out its priority plans and program in the state.
Prof Kalu said that the primary responsibility of the SSG’s office is to coordinate and monitor the implementation of Government policies and programmes, across all MDAs and sectors in the state, maintained that the office of the SSG, being the engine room of the state government is in the business of rejuvenating the state as well as stimulating smooth driving of state’s operations.
The SSG noted that the vision of the office is to enforce government directives and ensure that ministries, departments and agencies policies and programmes are properly supervised, disclosed that office of the SSG is statutorily structured into main offices,four Bureaux, two statutory Religious Boards and an Agency with their functions to include, inter governmental matters, election matters, allocation of official quarters to political office holders, secretariat for national and state economic council matters, among others.
The Abia Chief Scribe who enumerated some of the challenges of the office to include, inadequate funding and budget ceilings on both Capital and recurrent expenditures, inadequate provision and release of welfare packages, inadequate office accommodation and lack of executive secretariat complex, lack of functional vehicle among others, called on the commission to ensure the implementation of the budget to enable them provide better service delivery and facilitate smooth operations of the government.
Speaking earlier, the commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Kingsley Anosike noted that this year’s budget, tagged “BUDGET OF REJUVENATION THROUGH REFORMS AND ENTERPRISE” is geared towards the rebuilding agenda of the present administration and commended the SSG for the job well done.
