From Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
Bauchi State Executive Council BSEC has explained that the sum of N213bn has been approved as the proposed 2021 budget pending the approval of the State House of Assembly.
The State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Aminu Hassan Gamawa Stated this today tuesday evening while briefing newsmen at the end of a special BSEC meeting held at the Government House, presided over by the State Governor Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.
He said that the budget will be financed through a loan facility to be accessed by the state government using the volume of its internally generated revenue as well as other receipts from the Federation Account. The Commissioner said I’d the proposed budget is approved by the law makers and accented to by the Governor, Governor allocation will be used to complete all ongoing projects and start new ones that have a positive impact on the lives of the citizens.
He said that the budget will be focused on the construction and complete renovation of schools and hospitals in each of the 20 LGAs saying particularly that each Local Government Area and will have one school and one hospital either newly constructed or completely restructured. Gamawa said that there will be more capital expenditure in the 2021 fiscal year stressing however that the government will ensure that salaries, pension and other allowances were promptly settled.
The Commissioner said that the proposed budget will be presented to the State House of Assembly by the Governor before the end of the month for approval. Ob his Part Commissioner for Housing and Environment Honourable Hamisu Muazu Shira said that the sum of N7bn will be spent to upgrade the Government House, Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and a befitting International Conference Center in Bauchi.
The Commissioner explained that the decision became necessary considering that the Government House which has Governor’s Office, SSG’s office and Governor’s official residence was designed during Military era and needs to be modernized in line with the others. He said that the Governors lodge in Abuja will be pulled down completely and a new one will be constructed to raise the status of the state that was created in 1976 but has not developed till now.
Shira said that an international conference centre became expedient considering the growing status of the state in hosting international meetings lamenting that for now, such centre is lacking anywhere in the state.
