The secretive regime of Governor Charles Soludo has taken financial recklessness to a new level as revealed by findings unearthed from the Anambra State Government 2024 Budget Performance Report for Q2 (April – June). The ministry of local government, chieftaincy and community affairs within just two quarters, has overspent its approved budget by around N1.52 billion.
The Anambra State House of Assembly budgeted the sum of N622,596,600 for the ministry in the 2024 Appropriation bill signed into law by the governor. However, as at June, 2024 (just half year), the sum of N2.14 billion has been released and spent by the ministry. This amount is N1.52 billion or 343% above the initial provision in the budget.
The Anambra State 2024 Appropriation Act has not been amended by the Anambra State House of Assembly neither did the Governor send any supplementary appropriation bill to the assembly to include new spendings. This simply means that the Anambra State Government in continuation of its disregard for financial discipline and accountability has spent a whooping N1.52 billion without appropriation by the Anambra State House of Assembly.
The budget performance report for Q2 was also silent on what exactly the governor used this N214 billion to do in the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs. The Soludo administration may have utilised the N2.14 billion as a slush money to fight its political battles with Edozie Njoku led APGA leadership or probably embezzled the money outrightly. It is very difficult to imagine any legitimate thing this money was used for.
Soludo’s Misplaced Priorities;
Governor Soludo’s government in 6 months spent only N354 million in the agricultural sector but did not bate an eyelid when he spent over N2 billion on a Ministry that has budget head for anything meaningful by way of capital or even recurrent expenditure. This shows where Soludo’s priorities lie. Amidst a high food inflation occassioned by inadequate supply of agricultural produce, instead of ramping up investment and interventions in the agricultural sector, Soludo is rather interested in wasting Anambra’s resources on an opaque expenditure line item in the Ministry of chieftaincy!
Spending without appropriation is an impeachable offence;
Soludo is behaving as if he is above the law. It is important that ndi Anambra reminds their governor that spending a dime of the State’s resources without appropriation by the Anambra State House of Assembly is a crime and constitutes abuse of the constitution as well as gross misconduct – both offences are meant constitute impeachable offences. But Soludo does not give a hoot because he knows the State Assembly has been broken and now under the exclusive control of the governor and therefore lack the will to even question his extra-budgetary spending let alone initiating impeachment proceedings against the governor.
Well-meaning Anambrarians must begin to ask Prof. Charles Soludo important questions on transparency and accountability. These funds are not his to expend as he desires but the collective treasure of Ndi Anambra and which must be used judiciously to work for the people and not as a war chest for a governor’s political battles. I implore the State Accountant General Sir Chukwudi Okoli to provide more clarity on what the Soludo government used N2.14 billion to do in the Ministry of Local Government in just 6 months.
We must resist any subtle attempt by Soludo to build war chest for his re-election bid through unexplained and unapproved spending of Anambra scarce revenues. Every dime spent on behalf of Ndi Anambra by the Soludo government must be budgeted for and must add value to the state. The treasury is not Soludo’s piggy bank. The fact that Soludo thought it wise not to even bother sending a supplementary appropriation bill to the State Assembly or seeking amendment of the 2024 appropriation act where virement of funds can be carried out to other areas he wants more funds shows his level of disdain for due process. This is impunity taken too far and ndi Anambra must step up their vigilance of its resources.
Prof. Charles Soludo has shown it is not willing to be held accountable and does not expect ndi Anambra to ask him questions, which is why he can brazenly allow a ministry under his administration to overspend its annual budget by 343% in just six months. Who knows, by year end 2024, the cumulative spending of this particular ministry of Local Government, chieftaincy and community affairs would have have shot to over N4 billion! Ndi Anambra let’s wake up before APGA and Soludo wreck our state treasury.
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