Budget Performance Appraisal: Info Boss Hints On Int’l Collabo To Market State, Completion Agenda

…Gives Clue On Resuscitation Of Govt Printing Press

UYO                                

The Akwa Ibom commissioner for information and strategy has hinted on an expansive collaboration with international media houses to showcase the achievements of Gov Udom Emmanuel, especially his completion agenda.

Comrade Ini Ememobong gave the hint Wednesday, during the first and second quarters budget performance appraisal exercise held at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Complex, Uyo.

The commissioner reasoned that there was the need for increased publicity, especially at the national and international levels, with a view to showcasing the governor’s completion agenda and several other opportunities available in the state for investments.

According to the information boss, “We have helped to bridge the information gap, and we have also complemented the governor’s effort to attract a lot of foreign direct investments to the state by increasing our visibility in the national and international space, where we now have a lot of outdoor broadcasting happening live”.

“Recently, our advertorials have been on CNN and other international media platforms. We have also had the governor featured on the front cover of World Finance Magazine, which is the world’s No 1 finance magazine, and also Ethical Boardroom, which is a magazine read all over Europe and the UK. All of these are strategically placed to promote Akwa Ibom and her potentials,” he stated. 

On the resuscitation of the Government Printing Press Complex, the commissioner intimated the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation that during the last State Executive Council meeting, a directive was given by the governor to the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Committee to assess the state of the facility, with the aim of resuscitating it.

“His Excellency in council had approved that we start the processes by first renovating that facility, and then the processes of getting the government printer to work again,” Ememobong stated. 

The chairman of the committee, Mr Uduak Odudoh, said that the budget performance review which started last week is to prepare the State House of Assembly and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) towards the next budget cycle excercise for the state, coming up later in the year.

Ememobong was accompanied to the budget performance appraisal by: the permanent secretary, Akparawa James Edet; the director-general of the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC), Pastor Anietie Ukpe; the secretary of Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation (AKNC), Mrs Josephine Umoren; and the director of public relations, Mrs Grace Akpan.

Others were: the director of administration, Mrs TiubaNdounofit; the director of strategy, Mr Aniekan Ukpong, Mr Peter Antai and Mrs Edo Koko, head, Planning, Research & Statistics, and head legal respectively.

The appraisal showed a performance indicator of 45 per cent, with the sum of N395 million spent from the total capital budgetary provisions of N881.9 million within the first and second quarters of 2022, leaving a balance of N486.93 million for the remaining two quarters.