By Sunny Nwankwo, Umuahia 

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu on Monday presented N131,815,753,720 budget for the 2021 fiscal year to the House of Assembly.

The figure is 22.12 per cent higher than the 2020 revised budget.

Ikpeazu said the budget is targeted at recovering the state’s economy with a measurable growth path from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The budget projected N62 billion (47.51 per cent) for recurrent expenditure and N69 billion (52.49 percent) for capital expenditure.

Governor Ikpeazu said the 2021 budget was aimed at completing ongoing projects and programmes.

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According to him, new projects will mainly be in the form of COVID-19 responsive projects that would cushion the shocks of the pandemic and help the economy recover quickly.

Inspector General of Police (IG) Mohammed Adamu is scheduled to visit the state today (Tuesday).

Governor Ikpeazu, at the launch of the Abia State Crime Prevention and Management System (CPAMS), on November 16, inaugurated a nine—man committee to plan the IG’s visit.

According to sources, the IG would inaugurate projects such as the new Zone 9 administrative headquarters, the CPAMS headquarters, and others.

Ikpeazu’s Chief Press Secretary Onyebuchi Ememanka, who confirmed the IG’s visit, however said contrary to insinuations, the IG’s visit has nothing to do with the #EndSARS protest following rumours that the police chief would be visiting the state to access the impact of the protest in some police facilities.