Jigawa proposes N104.4bn budget for 2012
Tuesday, 03 January 2012 00:00 From John Akubo, Dutse
GOVERNOR Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has presented N104.4 billion 2012 appropriation bill to the state’s House of Assembly, an increase of 35 per cent above 2011 approved budget.

While presenting the proposed budget, the Governor indicated that it contained the 2012-2014 medium term plans- the main basis of development initiatives under the state comprehensive development framework, which is the state’s home-grown socio-economic transformation and reform agenda.

He noted that the major percentage of the budget will be financed from the federal revenue allocation to the state and local government councils.

“The aggregate capital expenditure estimates planned for the 2012 fiscal year is N53.71 billion which is just a little over half of the total proposed budget while the recurrent expenditure has over N46.8 billion,” he said.

According to him, education sector has N29.3 billion, which is the largest allocation, representing 7.3 per cent of the total estimate, followed by Ministry of Works and Transport that has N24.4 billion and Ministry of Health, which received over N12 billion.

Lamido further stated that priority has been given to the economic sectors of agriculture and food security, roads and transport development, rural electrification and other empowerment programmes.

“To step-up investment in this sector, almost 51per cent of the proposed capital expenditure programmes equivalent to exactly N27.2 billion is planned to be expended on the various projects and programmes within the sector”, Lamido disclosed.

He also told the legislators that the general administration of the three arms of government will receive N7.3 billion and out of the amount, government will complete the second phase of the state secretariat, new state high court complex, the new judicial complex and the ongoing extension of the House of Assembly complex and the New Deputy Governor’s office, which goes with his official residence.

He also presented N55.85 billion as appropriation for the 27 local government councils.

The governor pleaded with the state house of Assembly to give the proposed budget an accelerated hearing and to be guided by the principles of realism and the need for the budgets to remain consistent with the vision and strategic development direction of the state.

The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adamu Ahmed Sarawa, promised to give the budget proposal deserving speedy deliberation in the floor of the house and “we will ensure that the budget is implemented in the best interest of the people of the state”.