House of Rep. Member, Ogene tasks journalists on budget scrutiny as Odogwu re-elected Anambra NUJ chairman

The Chairman, House Committee on Renewable Energy, Hon. Victor Ogene has charged journalists to hold government at all levels accountable in their budget implementation.
Ogene who represents Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State in the House of Representatives made call in Awka, the Anambra State capital when he addressed members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council during their triennial delegate Conference held at the Godwin Ezeemo International Press Centre.
Ogene who accused most of the state governors of running “closed budget”, hence their budgets did not contain specific amounts appropriated for specified projects.
He said the budget estimate of most State Governments unlike national budget don’t contain specific allocation, stressing that they were mainly sectoral allocations without details of the various projects earmarked for implementation and the amount.
He urged journalists to interrogate budgets of their respective state governments for proper accountability.
“It is disheartening that some state lawmakers do not know the details of the state budget they approve for the governor to implement” Ogene said, noting that investigative journalism is dwindling and tasked journalists “to sit up, and be alive to their responsibilities as the watchdog of the society”.
The high-point of the conference was the re-election of Dr. Emeka Odogwu as the chairman of the Anambra State Council of NUJ after securing overwhelming 170 votes to defeat his former vice-chairman and only challenger, Comrade Ngozi Obileri who polled 40 votes.
Comrade Beatrice Onuchukwu-Ekwueme emerged vice-chairman, including Dr. Okechukwu Onuegbu of Blueprint Newspaper, Secretary.

Odogwu in his speech after the swearing in of his new executive particularly thanked the state governor, Prof.Chukwuma Soludo, Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, Special Adviser on Political Matters, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu for rejecting the pressure to interfere in the council election.
He promised to work hard to uplift the council for greater heights and urged his co-contestants and other members of the council to unite and work for the progress of the council to improve the welfare of members.