Lawmakers Assure Quick Passage As Gov Eno Presents N1.390trn 2026 Budget

Ahead of the 2026 fiscal year, Governor Umo Eno, of Akwa Ibom state has presented the N1.390 trillion budget estimates before the House of Assembly presided over by the Speaker, Elder Udeme Otong (Abak).

Addressing the 26 lawmakers, governor Eno solicited their cooperation for timely passage for his subsequent assent into law to tackle the development plans of government.

However, analysing the estimate, the majority leader of the House, who doubles as the member representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency, Otobong Bob, seeks full cooperation of all key players in the Executive arm and colleagues for the timely passage of the state’s 2026 Appropriation Bill.

The Nsit Ubium Assembly man, who highlighted the budget size of NGN1.390 trillion, commended the governor on the strategy adopted through town hall meetings, collating citizens’ inputs to arrive at the 2026 budget christened “The People’s Budget of Expansion and Growth”.

He noted the comparison to the 2025 budget, the meticulousness of the governor and implementation performance of previous budgets.

“It is the first of its kind that a budget proposal is 16 percent lower than that of the previous year. As an assembly, we score you very high in addition to a recent civil society organisation, BudgIT ranking for achieving over 80 per cent performance of the current year’s budget as at September”, he recalled.

The majority Leader further praised the governor for allocating 75 per cent of the 2026 estimates to capital expenditure, stressing that the estimates indicate a focus on roads, infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, and other life-touching projects.

He thanked the governor for the ongoing renovation of the state house of assembly complex, which aims to make the environment conducive not only for members of the Legislative arm of the state government but also for the entire staff.

The house leader, therefore, urged the commissioners, special advisers, and key players in the executive arm to always avail themselves to the relevant standing committees of the House when required.

“I want to reiterate to all commissioners and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the state government, you have listened to the governor, who has appealed to this house for the speedy passage of this budget.

“That can only be done through your cooperation. So when the various Committees of the House invite you, please avail yourselves,” he cautioned.

He assured that “the appropriation bill so presented will be expeditiously scrutinised by the legislators and passed in record time for the benefit of Akwa Ibom people.”