30th December, 2020
By Ayinde Olaide/Bauchi
Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State on Tuesday night signed the 2021 approved budget of N213.9 billion into law.
After signing the budget, Mohammed commended the House of Assembly for working in synergy with the Executive Council to get the budget approved within a short time.
He thanked the lawmakers for their “usual cooperation irrespective of party differences’’, adding that there were very little changes to the budget proposal presented to the House.
“What they did is what I would have done, to expand the provision of projects and programmes across the local councils so that there would be equity and justice.
“I’ve always said that Bauchi State is setting the pace in politics and irrespective of our party differences, I am always grateful to Allah for giving me the kind of members that I have in the state assembly,’’ he said.
Speaking earlier while presenting the approved budget to the governor, House Speaker Abubakar Sulaiman said that the lawmakers worked round-the-clock to get the budget approved within a reasonable time.
He said that N92, 994,971,655 billion of the total budget, representing 43 per cent was earmarked for recurrent expenditure while N120,919,587,773 billion, representing 57 per cent, was for capital expenditure.
“Your Excellency, the timely passage of the law is not unconnected with the members’ commitment, patriotism, mutual cooperation and understanding that exist between the legislative and the executive arms of the state.
“Honourable members’ always thrive to maintain this rapport in dealing with the executive,’’ he said.
The speaker, however, explained that the House observed that there was low performance by the revenue generating MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) despite the passage of the Revenue Harmonisation Bill into law by the House.
Sulaiman called on all revenue generating organs in the state to sit up with a view to increasing the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Governor Mohammed on Dec. 15 presented the 2021 budget proposal of N213.9 billion tagged ‘Budget of Fulfillment and Consolidation’’ to the assembly.