DESPITE the current challenges facing the country, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has said that elected public officials have no excuses not to deliver the gains of democracy that should make a difference in the lives of the citizens.
He spoke against the backdrop of the 2025 Anambra State N606 billion budget, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune by the state government at the weekend, stating that he and other public officials have no reason to complain in discharging their duties since they were not begged to take up the mantle of leadership.
He said the leaders should not rule out unexpected challenges coming in the course of implementing the budget for the coming year, due to the harsh economic realities in the country.
“For us, there are no excuses or complaints. We applied for the job and must deliver dividends of democracy to our people, in spite of all the constraints.
“So far, even with a fraction of resources available some years ago, we are determined to deliver multiples of results produced in years past.
“As stated in the 2024 budget speech, we will only borrow on two strict criteria: (a) it must be a concessionary loan, and (b) it must be allocated to projects with a clear plan for repayment in the future,” he asserted.
The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) envisaged that funding the budget will remain a challenge, hence the need for frugality while the mantra of the government to brace the odd is ‘doing more with less.’
“Our government has been rated the number one state in fiscal transparency and top five in fiscal sustainability. We have cut the cost of governance to bare bones, and the unprecedented ratio of our recurrent to capital budget, 23% to 77%, speaks volumes.
“The IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) segment remains our weakest link. Over the past few years, we have consistently performed significantly below our budget. In 2025, we have projected average monthly revenue of N5 billion, which will result in a total IGR of N60 billion.
“Currently, we are averaging only N2.5 billion per month, which is well below the state’s capacity,” he said.
Soludo stressed that the state budget is not merely a set of figures and allocations but a representation of the hopes, aspirations, and the collective vision for the future, because “our agenda is fundamentally about shaping a better tomorrow not only for ourselves but also for the generations unborn.
“We are engaged in critical efforts that extend beyond our immediate needs and concerns. With this budget, we are laying the groundwork for a thriving and sustainable future for many generations to come,” he said.
He told the legislators that the size of the state budget is relatively small—in real terms (purchasing power) and even in US dollars, amounting to $357 million—when compared to actual expenditures as per audited accounts in previous years.
According to him, even if the estimate is executed 100%, it will still be a fraction of what was spent in some years past due to the humongous increases in the prices of basic inputs in construction and governance.
He lamented that government vehicles have to be fueled at over N1000 per litre, compared to less than N100 some years ago or cement which cost a few hundred Naira up to N3,000 a few years ago, now costs about N10,000 per bag.
Other inputs, he noted, have increased by hundreds of percent, while revenue has not increased proportionately in nominal or real terms.
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