Delta State House Assembly Committee on Housing, Women Affairs and Community Development has promised sustained interface with the state ministry of Housing to achieve enhanced budget performance in the 2023 fiscal year.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Jude Ogbimi, made the promise when the Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Chief Festus Ochonogor led top management of the ministry to defend the 2023 budget estimates of the ministry.
Ogbimi who represents Isoko North in the House said the 68% budget performance by the ministry in 2022 was commendable but there was still much room for improvement.
He assured that the committee will continue to interface in the area of adequate budgetary allocation and oversight to ensure that the ministry performs better.
Ogbimi paid glowing tributes to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the achievements of the state government in the Housing sector, saying that the multi-billion naira ultra-modern state secretariat was a sight to behold.
He however expressed concern on the issue of maintenance of the secretariat and other government buildings and stressed the need for required attention in that regard to avoid wastage.
Presenting a summary of the proposed 2023 budget of Ten point four billion naira before the committee, the Commissioner for Housing, Chief Festus Ochonogor, said ten billion naira is for capital expenditures, while three hundred and sixty-one million naira is for recurrent expenditure.
Ochonogor disclosed that two point five billion naira is proposed for funding of the international conference centre under construction in Asaba, saying that the proposed housing scheme at Ozoro, Kwale, Ekpan and Owa-Oyibo would be vigorously pursued.
He said many ongoing projects would be completed, assuring that efforts were not being spared on the management of government housing facilities as well as the security and safety of the work environment.
Ochonogor explained that with the support of the governor, the ministry would continue to strive to deliver its mandate.
He said the support from the Committee and members’ involvement in the activities of the ministry gave a serious push to the various achievements recorded by the ministry including all the legacy projects.
Ochonogor solicited for continued cordial relationship between the Ministry of Housing and the state legislature.
