Jigawa lawmakers slash own budget, raise N17 billion for critical sectors

The Jigawa State House of Assembly has slashed N1 billion from its allocations in the state’s 2024 budget as the lawmakers redirected funds in the current budget to agriculture, education and emergency relief services.

The 2024 budget review appropriation bill passed on Thursday reallocated about N17 billion to addressing critical needs across various sectors.

The review was done at Thursday’s plenary presided over by the speaker, Haruna Aliyu.

The lawmakers said the budget review appropriation bill also reduced the provisions for recurrent expenditure of government’s agencies.

Allocations to service delivery operations, maintenance and other miscellaneous costs were reduced to about N2.5 billion and capital development programmes to about N14.5 billion.

The speaker, Mr Aliyu, said the budget review gave attention to improving living condition in the state, especially given the current hardship in the country.

He said the lawmakers noted the state’s pressing requirements in agriculture, works, projects, water supply, education and health.

In addition to the Ministry of Power and Alternative Energy, he said those are essential for socio-economic development, in line with the 12-point agenda of Governor Umar Namadi.

The speaker said the budget review raised N17 billion for the critical needs of the state.

The chairperson of the appropriation committee, Ibrahim Hamza, said the lawmaker slashed N1 billion off the N2.1 billion allocated to Assembly projects and assets acquisition, and another N1.1 billion off the N2.1 billion allocated to the State Research Institute.

He said other MDAs affected by the reduction include Religious Affairs, the State HIV/ AIDS Control Agency (SACA), the Pilgrims Welfare Board, the Office of The Resident Auditors, Internal Revenue Headquarters, Tourism Promotion and Social Registration.

According to the committee’s report, out of the N16.9 billion reallocated, N8 billion went to agricultural mechanisation and procurement of plants and farm implements.

He said N500 million was transferred to scholarship to raise its allocation to N3.1 billion, N1.7 billion to immunisation, NI.7 billion to the newly created state Ministry of Renewable Energy, N1.4 billion increased to Emergency Response and N1.8 billion to the state Ministry of Finance for contingency, among others.

The house after deliberation on the report of the committee unanimously approved the recommendation for the adjustment of the 2024 appropriation bill.