By Aliyu Dangida

Dutse— Governor Muhammad Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State has proposed a budget of N137.23 billion for 2016 as he presented an appropriation bill tagged “Budget of Change and Sustainable Development” before the state’s House of Assembly.

Governor Muhammad Abubakar Badaru

Presenting the budget, the governor said the proposed 2016 budget is 37 per cent higher than that of last year, as it is articulated in such a way that it is consistent with the government’s vision and aspirations.

He said the total retained revenue based on which the proposed recurrent and capital expenditure estimates were prepared is N134.23 billion, of which N62.92 billion representing about 46 per cent is the total envisaged revenue.

Badaru said the balance of N71.31 billion representing almost 52 per cent is for capital investments.

The largest share of N39.27 billion is to be expended in the economic sector, representing over 55 per cent of the total capital expenditure and the health sector accounts for about 47 per cent of the entire budget.

The governor also announced that N43.5 billion, representing 32 per cent of the budget, will be spent on education which is above the UNESCO’s Education for All prescription of 26 per cent allocation.

The Health sector, according to Badaru, is earmarked N20.4 billion, equivalent of about 15 per cent of the total budget which is in line with the prescription of the Abuja Declaration.

Other areas include Personnel Cost, N39.0 billion, representing 29 per cent of the total projected income and an increase of almost eight per cent over the 2015 approved estimates.

Based on the plans of the state to diversify its economy, agriculture and livestock are allocatedN7.4 billion, which is more than four times the approved allocation to Agriculture in 2015.

The Governor said allocation to agriculture “reflects our commitment to diversify the State’s economy based on our natural resource endowment consisting of vast arable and Fadama lands, abundant water resources, numerous irrigations schemes, vast population and suitable climate.”

The proposed capital expenditure estimate is N71.31 Billion representing about 52% of the total projected income, “the general focus is on those key priorities we planned to attain over the medium term as indicated under the policy objectives of the Budget.

“The Roads Sector alone is earmarked the sum of N27.75 Billion representing about 40% of the proposed capital expenditure, recalled that over 90% of the contractual commitments and liabilities inherited by our Government were in the Roads Sector.”

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Idris Garba Jahun, commended the governor for the early presentation of the appropriation bill on time, promising the house will work on it within appropriate time.

He disclosed that despite the state’s dwindling economy that the state has excelled in the 2016 budgeting which surpasses that of 2015 with over 30%.

The Speaker urged the MDAs to furnish the house with every necessary information of developmental projects in their domain, adding that the house will not take it lightly with any MDAs that refuse to abide by the directives.