By Demola Akinyemi
Ilorin—Governor Abdulfahah Ahmed of Kwara State yesterday presented the 2014 budget proposal of N124,525,957,113, before the state House of Assembly for consideration.

Presenting the estimates tagged “Budget of Expansion for Inclusive Prosperity” Ahmed said that the budget was higher than that of 2013 by N27. 595 billion or 28.46 per cent.
The Governor also said that the 2013 budget proposal was designed to reduce unemployment, bridge infrastructural gap and drive the completion of the on-going projects, just as ‘’the 2014 budget is a blueprint for sustaining on-going development and birthing major new projects to put more money in people’s pocket, get more youths into work, remodel additional hospitals, build more schools and roads thus opening new vistas of economic prosperity.”

Ahmed also explained that N48, 542, 484,272, or about 39 per cent of the budget was recurrent expenditure while about N58,700,358,608, about 47 per cent was for capital expenditure.
According to Ahmed, 14 per cent or N17,278,150,233 of the proposed would be spent on public debt servicing, even as the government would create 3,500 new jobs and midwife 2000 new youth entrepreneurs through training and access to N200 million in affordable revolving credit in the first quarter of the year.
Reviewing the performance of the 2013 budget, Governor Ahmed said N8,304,406,432  was spent on rehabilitation and construction of roads, with special attention on the 81 on-going and newly awarded road projects of about 449 kilometres.

He added that 40 rural roads covering 377 kilometres were covered in the 2013 fiscal year, while interventions were ongoing on Chikanda/Kosubosu and Patigi/Kpada federal roads.
Ahmed further noted that 13 water projects across the state were rehabilitated in line with his administration’s policy of creating access to potable water within 500 metres while N150,562,286 was spent on bulk procurement of materials and drilling of boreholes.

On healthcare, Governor Ahmed said N2,452,170,452 was spent on the rehabilitation and upgrading of five general hospitals in Ilorin, Offa, Omu Aran, Kaiama and Share respectively.
In his response, the Speaker of the House,  Abdulrazaq Atunwa, promised that the House would pass the budget  expeditiously with a view to ensuring that government’s aims and objectives were fully realised.