Gov Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Signs 2020 Budget

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Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq assented to the 2020 appropriation bill  last week Thursday.    He said the document was designed to truly rebuild the state and make it result in upliftment of the people and also address infrastructure deficit.

AbdulRazaq who thanked  members of  the state House of Assembly at the signing ceremony for what he described as thorough scrutiny of the budget proposal and for its speedy passage also noted that he had told some members of the executive that the lawmakers are empowered to make input into the budget being the direct representatives of the people.

In the assented budget, the capital expenditure was reviewed to 55.04percent, up from 53 percent that the governor had presented on December 18.

The parliament also cut the recurrent expenditure to 44.96 percent, further down from 47 percent in the original copy. Overall, the budget increased by N476m in favour of capital expenditure.

The total budget figure is N162. 487,666,170. The capital component of the budget – at 55 percent – is about the highest in the recent history of Kwara state.

‘This is not a rubber stamp budget. I know what is in it and I agree with it in totality. I know there are changes but I agree with it because as representatives of the people, you’re closer to the people and can make input into the budget. It’s all for the good of our people’ the Governor said shortly after signing the budget bill.

Apart from making it reflect what would drive socioeconomic and infrastructural growth, AbdulRazaq said provisions were also deliberately made to lift as many people as possible out of extreme poverty.

He specifically commended the lawmakers for approving the Social Investment Programme Bill which he had since assented and for making further provisions for it in the 2020 budget for the benefit of the poorest of the poor in the state.

‘It is a programme that will help the poorest of the poor and increase our GDP. We also intend to commence the School Feeding Programme this year. So many other programmes and projects have been captured in the budget to benefit the people. This is, indeed, a budget for the people of Kwara state’ he noted.

Also speaking, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon  Salihu Danladi Yakubu said the budget was thoroughly scrutinized by the lawmakers before its passage on Wednesday.

‘Members of the State Executive Council and other top government officials who spoke during the budget defence could testify to the fact that the 2020 budget was thoroughly scrutinized.

It is a budget of reformation and reconstruction because there are critical sectors which were adequately provided for like water, health, education, agriculture, and works with very substantial capital votes. It is a budget of hope’ he said.

Yakubu also stated readiness of  the lawmakers to carry out adequate oversight functions to ensure proper implementation of the budget.

The Deputy Governor,  Mr. Kayode Alabi; principal officers and members of the House of Assembly; Head of Service,  Modupe Oluwole;  the Chief of Staff, Alhaji  Aminu Logun, Commissioner for Finance and Planning Olasumbo Florence; Clerk of the House Halimah Kperogi, and the Acting Accountant General of the state , Dr Kayode Waheed were among top government functionaries  at the event.