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A civil society organisation, the Enugu Good Governance Group (E-3G), has congratulated the Governor Peter Mbah administration on its emergence as the most prudent among the 36 states governments in the first quarter of 2024.
The group, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Odinaka Okechukwu, said the report published by the Open Nigerian State, a website supported by BudgIT, which showed that the Mbah administration recorded the least recurrent expenses among other states in the first three months of 2024, was yet another indication that the governor’s presence in government was inspired by selfless service.
Earlier, data based on the budget implementation report of the states showed that whereas Benue, Imo, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe states have no data to their names, the remaining 30 state governments spent N986.64 billion on recurrent expenditures, which includes workers’ salaries, refreshments, sitting allowances, travelling, and utilities among others, in the first quarter of 2024.
Lagos State recorded the highest recurrent expenses nationally, being N189.62 billion, followed by Delta State, which recorded N68.68 billion. Ebonyi State recorded the highest recurrent expenses in the South East with N14.95 billion, followed by Abia State with N10.92 billion and Anambra State with N9.91 billion recurrent expenses. Enugu State recorded only N7.51 billion to emerge the least in recurrent expenditures in both the region and the entire country. Imo State has no data.
Reacting to the development, E-3G said: “This is a clear testimony to the high level of fiscal discipline in the Gov Mbah’s administration and a demonstration that accountability, transparency, and traceability, which he mouthed as guiding principles in the administration of public funds, were not mere campaign buzzwords.
“With a record 107.2 billion recurrent expenditure, representing about 21 percent of Enugu’s N521.5 billion 2024 budget and a whooping N414.3 billion or 79 percent of the budget earmarked for capital projects, Governor Mbah has thus far left no one in doubt about his commitment to disrupting the status quo to transform the state in all ramifications.
“Also commendable is the governor’s disposition to citizen engagement. Beside several town hall meetings and media engagements, Mbah, on Thursday, May 30, 2024, engaged the citizens on X space, devoting two full hours to interact with mostly the younger generation on the policies, programmes, and projects of his government, among others.”
The group enjoined Mbah to continue on the path of prudence and putting the people above self.
