Bauchi Governor Presents N167.9BN 2018 Budget For Approval To State Assembly
From Yahaya Audu, Bauchi
Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi State has presented a budget of N167.9 billion to Bauchi State House of Assembly (BAHA) for approval.
Presenting the budget yesterday at the floor of the Assembly, the State Governor tagged the 2018 as the budget of consideration.
According to him, the budget consists of recurrent expenditure of N68,77,930,725, while capital project amounted to N99,879,490,075.
The revenue expenditure of the 2018 budget is N114,600,617,381, while the state government projects an internal revenue of N13,11 million with statutorily allocation of N101,474,233,151.
The budget also include overhead of N26,779,394,308, pension and gratuity, N7,500 million, death over 4, billion, while public carried N918,440,202, and capital credit N53,356,803,419.
Reviewing the performance of the 2017 budget, the governor stated that his administration recorded some achievements in the outgoing year, adding that over 800 different projects are executed and completed in the 20 local government areas of the state.
Governor Abubakar said that health and education are given the Lion share of the 2017 budget, adding that in the 2018 budget health is given 15 percent, while education is given 14 percent.
The governor also said that his administration constructed 19 primary health care centres across state in the outgoing year, while roads currently under construction have reached 58 percent completion.
He further said that payment of pension and gratuity will soon commence with the sum of N2 billion set aside for the purpose, saying that he inherited N14 billion debt from the last administration.
The governor called on all the people of the state, including traditional rulers, to support him with prayers so that Bauchi State will move forward.
Mohammed Abubakar said during the presentation that agriculture, health, education, water supply, roads and women and youth empowerment will be given a top priority in the 2018 budget.
In his speech the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Right Hon Kawuwa Shehu Damina, assured the governor that the 2018 budget presented to the Assembly will be given expeditious passage by members.
According to him, in doing this, however, the Assembly will give the budget will be diligently scrutinized, noting that since budget was being presented to the Assembly, members have never at any time deviated from their assigned responsibilities.
He, however, urged on all the state’s ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to give maximum cooperation to the Assembly’s various standing committees during the budget defence and oversight functions.
Damina added that the committees will continue to embark on quarterly monitoring of the budget performance to ensure effective implementation.
