Anambra: Major Problem for Soludo As Parliament Opposes Budget for Education

• Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state has been criticised for not prioritising education in the state
• The criticism was by the Anambra state parliament, which opposed the money allocated for education in the new budget
• It was gathered that there was a drastic slack of over 70 per cent in the money earmarked for education

Anambra, Awka - The Anambra state parliament said it is not satisfied with the budget allocated to education in the state by Governor Charles Soludo.

According to the Guardian newspaper, there was a downward review in the allocation from the previous year which was about N3.23 billion and is now fixed at N1.1billion in the current budget.

Legit.ng gathered that the reduction in percentage is about 70 per cent, a move that the parliament was not pleased with.

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The state parliament said the reduction will come with a lot of implications which include lowering the standard of learning as well as other student development in the state.

While the 2022 Revised Budget defence of the ministry of education was ongoing, a lawmaker in the house, Ejike Okechukwu said the budget is unrealistic.

Okechukwu who also doubles as the committee chairman on education reiterated that education plays a pivotal role in society and should be treated with the utmost attention.

He said:

“The education ministry is self-sustaining because it generates revenue annually from students’ tuition, sports levy and exam fees. This money is paid directly into the government’s account.

“It is sad that these funds are not released to the ministry to operate which is why our students are being exploited, they pay these levies twice or three times in a year.

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“The slash in the budget is unacceptable. We are suppose to be working towards having 10 per cent of our budget allocated to education as recommended by the United Nations Children’s Fund. Not less than two per cent allocated annually.”

Meanwhile, Okechukwu urged the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, who prepared the budget, to look into an upward review of the education budget.

How ministry of education generated N636m in Anambra

Contributing his quota to the matter, the lawmaker representing Nnewi North Constituency, Smart Okafor, stated that the ministry generates a lot for the state government but does not get a return on investment rather, the state uses it to fund other projects.

Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the commissioner for education, revealed that the ministry generated N636 million in 2021, while N246 million of the main revenue were generated from the states’ secondary and primary school.

She however stated that plans are ongoing within the ministry to update the curriculum of education from the conventional method of teaching to skills training and technology.

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Ngozi said:

“We want to train and graduate students who will not be dependent on the state but be self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.

“We have a lot of reforms to carry our but we are surprised that our budget was slashed and when I queried, I was told that the state government cannot fund the initial budget of N3.23 billion.

“I’m appealing to the Assembly to look into an upward review of the budget to help us carry out our programmes optimally.”

Anambra government demolishes pastor Odumeje’s church

The Anambra state government has pulled down the church of a popular Nigerian pastor simply known as Odumeje.

Odumeje, whose real name is Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, saw his church demolished before his eyes on Thursday, July 7.

It was gathered that the demolition of the church was in accordance with the urban renewal plan enacted by Governor Soludo.

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Finally, Soludo speaks on the demolition of Odumeje's church

The Anambra state governor, Charles Soludo, has finally reacted to the demolition of Prophet Odumeje's church.

Soludo made this reaction known via a statement stating that the Prophet did not follow the stipulated guidelines of the government.

As contained in the statement, Soludo said a prior notice had been issued to Odumeje before the demolition.

Source: Legit.ng