2018 Budget: We Haven’t Shortchange Isoko Nation – Delta Govt’

The Delta state Government has dismissed  claims by a group, Isoko Pressure and Good Governance Group that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa voted only 1% for Isoko nation in the 2018 budget.

The state government, through the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Kingsley Emu in a statement made available to BigPen Online on Saturday, said that the budget was being misinterpreted even as he said that some basic computations of capital expenditure has been distorted.

BigPen Online recalls that there have been agitations from some quarters in Isoko nation since the 2018 budget was made public, with many of the respondents blaming Governor Okowa and Isoko representatives in state Assembly for the abnormally.

Emu noted that while it is encouraging for citizens involvement and engagement in the budgeting process, it is also advisable for citizens to have a better understanding of a budgeting process.

According to him, the erroneous 1% claim, which he said is actually 2.8% is only in capital expenditure that is so spelt out for specific interventions.

He emphasised that there are omnibus sub heads in ministries of works, Health, Environment, Agriculture, Job Creation, Basic and higher education, Water Resources, Commerce, micro credit which also take care of developmental yearnings of Isoko people.

“More importantly there are key provisions of N1.5bn and N1.3bn for social security and community development which are also for capital expenditure in the same budget for all the 25 LGAs”, he added.

The Commissioner maintained that Isoko nation is one of the few local governments that have the benefit of drawing from two key budgets of Delta State and DESOPADEC, pointing out that DESOPADEC has a budgetary provision of N28bn as capital expenditure for which the Isoko nation is a legitimate beneficiary.

Emu however said that the claims by Isoko Pressure and Good Governance Group was based on misunderstandings of budgetary provisions, adding, “so their uninformed conclusion cannot bear the burden of explanation of negligence.

He explained that in budgeting it is impossible to identify all the issues and areas of intervention in one year and that accounts for the use of omnibus.

“We now have a responsibility to do an enlightenment programme for genuine citizens to educate them on budgets and budgeting process, he added.

“I like to commend the representatives of the Isoko nation for their understanding of governance and how it works but enjoin them to embark on advocacy in this area irrespective of such politically motivated write ups.

“Even basic computation of the capital expenditure has been distorted. We must separate serious issues of economy from politics for obvious reasons”.

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