The Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, on Tuesday declared the 2020 Budget Defence open.

The Speaker warned against any expenditure of government funds without appropriation.

The Speaker advised all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Abia State Government to attend the committee sittings to defend their various Budgets.

“All Ministries, Departments and Agencies must come to the House of Assembly to defend their respective budgets. That is the requirement of the law.

“It is important that the Accountant General and his team ensure that all monies are appropriated.

“For you to avoid prosecution, you must ensure that whatever you do is in accordance with the Law,m”, he said.

The Speaker went ahead to warn that any MDA that fails to appear before the Appropriation Committee will be appropriated with Zero Fund.

“In these days of Freedom of Information, we must be careful in the expenditure of government money”, he emphasised.

Earlier in his address, Chairman of the Abia State House of Assembly Committee on Appropriation, Rt Hon Kennedy Azubuike Njoku, assured the Speaker that his committee would break the record this time to ensure that the 2020 Appropriation Bill is passed into Law before the 30th of December, 2019.

“We want to break the record and ensure that the 2020 Appropriation Bill is passed into Law before the 30th of December, 2019.

“We want to work and ensure that before 2020, the Budget would have been passed into Law” he said.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Uchendu, Clerk of the House Sir John Pedro Irokansi, and other Principal Officers of the Abia State House of Assembly witnessed the event which had The Accountant General of the State and the Executive Secretary of the State Planning Commission, among others, in attendance.

The Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly Rt.Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji was today, proclaimed as an Ambassador of Made in Abia Products.

The Director General of the Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency (ABMQMA) Barr. Sam Hart made the proclaimation when he led management of the Agency on a courtesy call on the Speaker at the Abia State House of Assembly.

Speaking during the visit, the Director General of the Agency, Barr. Sam Hart said he led the management team of the Agency on a familiarization tour to brief the Speaker on the activities of the Agency since his assumption of duty as the Director General. He highlighted the task given to him on assumption of office by the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu.

“Mr Speaker i’m here to report to you that we are doing our best to meet up to that task.”
“Our Agency is also saddled with the responsibility of setting out whatever that is being produced in Abia to the global Market.”

The ABMQMA boss sought the intervention of the Speaker for the completion of the process setting up the agency .

Responding, the Speaker Rt. Hon.Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji commended the Director-General for having a youthful team in his agency.

“I want to commend you for having a youthful team, on all the things you are doing, this is the most impactful.”

“Any person that you have seen remaining on the corridor of power, there must be something about such a person.”

“There are people that you may appoint to head an Agency and they make something out of it.” The Speaker said.

On the amendment of the law setting up the Agency, the Speaker urged the Director-General to liaise with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative matters so that the amendment can be brought to the State House of Assembly for considerations.

The Speaker appreciated the Director-General and urged him to do more in the promotion of Made in Aba Products.

“Nobody should buy anything foreign rice, gone are the days when people use it as a status symbol, in my house, we banned Foreign rice, anything that gives you foreign rice doesn’t like you”

He called for the support of the Federal Government on the closure of borders which he said will enable the consumption of more Made in Nigeria Products.

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has approved the setting up of a joint negotiating committee on the implementation of the new minimum wage in the state.

In a release signed by the Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu made available to ABN TV, the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu will on behalf of the governor inaugurate the committee at conference room, office of the Deputy Governor on Wednesday, 11th December, 2019.

The team is expected to conclude its work and submit its report to the Governor on or before the 31st of December, 2019.

The members are;
1. Head of Service (Chairman)
2. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance
3. Permanent Secretary/Executive Secretary, Planning Commission
4. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
5. Permanent Secretary, Establishment/Pension (Secretary)
6. Permanent Secretary, LG Service Commision
7. Auditor General of the State
8. Accountant-General of the state
9. Joint Council Chairman (Labour spokesman)
10. TUC Chairman
11. NLC Chairman
12. N U T Chairman
13. NULGE Chairman
14. Chairman council 1
15. Chairman council 2
16. Chairman Council 3

The Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has noted with great dismay what he called the unwholesome activities of emergency street traders around the area between Oomne Road Junction through Ngwa High School up to Osisioma Junction.

In a release signed by the chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onyebuchi Ememanka, the activities of these street traders are negatively affecting the ongoing reconstruction work on that end of Aba Owerri Road.

According to him, these traders mindlessly place tables and chairs on recently laid asphalt that is yet to solidify, thereby creating crevices on the ongoing project and disrupting the smooth laying of asphalt. In addition, they pour all sorts of liquids ranging from palm oil, engine oil, kerosene and even petrol on the site. These liquids affect the settling of the asphalt layers.

“Government can no longer watch while these mindless activities go on.

“Consequently, the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, PhD has ordered an end to all forms of street trading around that area, effective immediately.

“The Governor hereby orders the Honorable Commissioner for Environment to immediately constitute a crack Task Force to ensure the strictest compliance with this directive. This task force is expected to commence work tomorrow morning, Monday, 9th December, 2019” he said.

He directed the Head of Service, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Abayi Division and the Head of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osisioma to work with the Task Force to arrest any person who chooses to flout this directive. Any goods or items of trade found around that area shall immediately be confiscated and such trader prosecuted.

“Government hereby warns these street traders to steer clear from that area in their own interest. There has never been a market there and there will never be.

“Government is investing lots of money in that project and will not tolerate any action that will impact negatively on it.”.