By Odi Chukwuma.
The governor of Ebonyi State, Rt Hon. Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru has been applauded for his foresight in creating the Ministry of Budget and Planning from the Ministry of Finance.
The commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon. Mrs Chinwe Okah made this commendation during a maiden general meeting with the management and staff of the ministry at the Centenary City, Abakaliki.
Mrs Okah said that the governor is aware of what obtains in other states and that Ebonyi cannot be exempted from keying into the best practices aimed at ensuring effectiveness. She disclosed that the governor promised to automate the ministry so that the budget preparation does not have any problems as experienced in the past years.
In her words, "I prayed to God for the ministry of budget and planning to stand on its own and he has answered the prayer through our amiable and foresighted governor." She insists that the meeting became necessary to rob minds together and agree on how to move the new ministry forward and pleaded with workers and all PRS in other ministries for cooperation and to always deal with monthly reports as mandatory to help their mother ministry in budgeting and planning of Ebonyi State.
The two-time commissioner for budget and planning pledged to make her expertise, commitment and strength count in such a way that the ministry will benefit the state.
To assure her readiness to position the ministry, she urged the staff to prepare for project monitoring as part of their duty schedule and key programme of the ministry and maintained her intention to strengthen all relevant duties of PRS to the knowledge of EXCO members through a memo seeking the governor's approval on the matter.
On his part, the head of the department, planning, Chijîoke Ogbodo earlier in his recommendation observed that the commissioner who was there Commissioner before the ministry was scrapped by the previous administration is working on familiar terrain and extolled the starring qualities of Mrs Okah, adding that the meeting was a moment of reflection to chat the way forward. Mr Ogbodo who was visibly happy enthused that "to have the ministry standing on its own is already an achievement and to have a Commissioner with the knowledge of what we do in the ministry is an added advantage."
In a vote of thanks, the director of statistics, Dr Moses Uto on behalf of the management and staff congratulated the commissioner on her appointment. He also appreciated the soothing words of the ministry's helmsman and charged workers for diligence and belief in the new era of having a round peg in a round hole.
