Abia Govt calls for strict compliance with budgetary allocation
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia Government has urged all Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to strictly adhere to the annual budget estimates approved by the State House of Assembly, for each fiscal year when embarking on Capital Projects.
The Senior Special Assistant to Abia State Governor on Due Process and Procurement, Dr Oluebube Chukwu
Dr. Chukwu stated this during a meeting with the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, and members of the Management team of the Ministry.
The Governor’s aide who underscored the importance of budgetary adherence, commended the Ministry for their commitment to ensuring that every project undertaken by it strictly adheres to the Financial Regulations of the state.
He stated that the era of unregulated projects exceeding MDA’s thresholds without adhering to the necessary due process procedures had come to an end.
He stressed that the practice had previously led to financial wastage and misappropriation of government funds, orchestrated by individuals with malicious intentions against the state.
“For any Project to be executed in the state, the Ministry’s Tenders Board, after publishing adverts for bids, will conduct all necessary pre-qualification preliminary checks of the Project and the Contractors, and will forward the details of the successful Contractor to Due Process Office, who will at that stage, issue a Certificate Of No Objection to the successful Contractor.
“For Capital projects above the threshold of each Ministry, the Due Process Office will forward the Contract documents to the State Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC), who, after satisfactory checks, will issue a recommendation letter to the Due Process Office”.
Speaking, Commissioner for Environment, Ogbonna, expressed his Ministry’s commitment to align with the state government’s approved standards in contract awards and formalities.
Ogbonna who applauded Dr. Chukwu for his guidance on current contract award trends, assured that the Ministry of Environment would ensure strict compliance with all the required processes, adding that they will not hesitate to consult the Due Process Office for further guidance.
