Abia Assembly approves Gov Otti’s request for N22.2bn virement

• The Abia State House of Assembly approved Governor Alex Otti’s request for a N22.2 billion virement to enhance government services
• Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi highlighted the failures of Nigerian democracy, citing the 2012 fuel subsidy protest as politically motivated

The Abia State House of Assembly approved Governor Alex Otti’s request for a N22.2 billion virement for government services on Tuesday.

This followed the consideration of the governor’s letter presented by the Assembly’s Deputy Speaker, Mr. Austin Mmeregini, at the plenary in Umuahia.

Uchenna Kalu, the House Majority Leader, had asked the lawmakers to consider the request in a motion.

He stated that the request was prompted by the current administration’s desire to rebuild the state and improve citizens’ well-being.

Kalu said:

This bill is straightforward and seeks to vire money from the expenditure sub-heads, where they were not properly captured to the areas where they will be properly utilised and needed without actually increasing the budget.

We are all aware that the present administration merged some ministries when it came on board, so it is proper for the state to vire funds from some of the ministries to the areas where they are needed in order to ensure the optimal utilisation of the funds.

I urge my honorable colleagues to support this bill to enable the present administration to continue to deliver democracy dividend to the people.

The Deputy Speaker, who presided over the plenary, put the motion to vote, and the lawmakers unanimously accepted it.

Our Democracy Not Working – Fayemi

Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti state, claims that democracy in the country is failing despite the end of the military administration in 1999.

This is because, according to Fayemi, the protest that accompanied the removal of fuel subsidies during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2012 was motivated by political interests.

He made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at a national dialogue commemorating the 60th birthday of Prof Udenta Udenta, the founding national secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

President Goodluck Jonathan announced the removal of fuel subsidies in January 2012, resulting in a significant increase in the petrol price at the pump, from N65 per litre to N141.