The Anambra state commissioner for works, Engr. Marcel Ifejiofor, has said that ongoing remedial works on some deplorable roads condition in the state were due to ‘pressure’ by the media and quest to make the state best in the country.
Ifejiofor, who was responding to some questions at 2020 budget breakdown held at weekend, said that governor Willie Obiano was having a sleepless night to ensuring that all roads in the state were motorable and without fault.
This according to him was why the ministry has more appropriation than others in 2020 budget estimates the governor submitted to the state house of assembly late last month.
He, however, argued that most roads in bad shapes in Anambra state were federal roads and those constructed by past administrations, adding that contrary to social media reports that roads in Anambra state were being ravaged by flood and erosion menace, roads in the state were better off when compared to roads in some states.
“The roads are bad but we have plans for them. Most of the impassable roads in Anambra state are federal roads. One good thing is that we don’t play politics with what we are doing. What we are doing on our roads is verifiable.
“The governor is having sleepless nights to make sure we move on our roads. I want to assure you that between now and Christmas, something wonderful will happen on our roads,” he noted.
Earlier, the Anambra state commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development partners, Mr. Mark Okoye, while presenting the budge breakdown, explained that the state government adopted a crude oil benchmark of 55 dollars per barrel, an average of 2.8 million barrels per day, translating to a projected annual Federal Account Allocation Committee of N43.7bn.
Okoye hinted that revenue from value added tax was projected at 15.6bn representing 46.2% increase on the 2019 figure of N10.6bn, while the internally generated revenue was projected at N30bn at 2.5bn monthly for 2020 as a result of comprehensive reforms instituted in the state, compared with thirty six billion naira in 2018 budget.
