By Jonathan Ugbal: Government House Correspondent
Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade failed to present the 2017 appropriation bill to the House of Assembly Friday morning as earlier reported by CrossRiverWatch.
The protocol unit had Thursday evening sent messages that governor Ayade will Friday morning at about 7:30 AM present the budget to the 25 man Assembly only for Government House Correspondents to arrive a few minutes past 7:00AM and learn that the presentation has been postponed.
The government is yet to release any official statement even though none was issued to announce the budget presentation.
Meanwhile, CrossRiverWatch gathered the governor is set to perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the 31.75 billion Naira Mfon – Okpoma – Okuku – Imaje – Bekwarra – Obudu – Obanliku highway, a state of the art rice mill, Obudu New City as well as an international model Secondary School in partnership with the government of Canada.
The road according to government sources, was awarded to Sydney Construction Company limited and is expected to be delivered in 3 years for the total cost of thirty one billion, seven hundred and fifty million, nine hundred and fifteen thousand, five hundred and twenty three Naira and eighty one Kobo. (N31,750, 915,523.81k).
It is still unclear when exactly the 2017 budget will be presented and when the groundbreaking ceremonies will take place.