By Bimbo Ogunnaike
The Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has presented before the State House of Assembly for approval the sum of N108, 414, 101, 082 as the budget estimate for 2020 financial year.
Tagged as budget of “Continuity and Consolidation” governor Buni while making his first-ever budget presentation on Wednesday, said the sum represents an increase of N16.7 billion or 15.5 per cent over that of 2019 Fiscal Year.
“The Budget will give attention to the following key areas: Firstly, it would build on the momentum to revitalize our education sector.
“Secondly, the 2020 Budget, will seek to boost agriculture by encouraging a transition from our traditional subsistent to commercial farming. Our administration is poised to improve food security and provide avenues for wealth creation and youth empowerment.
“Thirdly, we will seek to improve access to qualitative and affordable healthcare for our people by upgrading healthcare infrastructure and making sure that our hospitals, clinics, and health centres have the basic requirements to function efficiently and effectively.
“Lastly, the budget will also focus on tapping from our vast solid mineral and tourism potentials and promoting commercial activities by providing incentives to attract private investments and entrepreneurship”, Buni stated.
According to him, in the 2020 budget works, Transport and Energy got N16.078 billion, Land, Housing and Property Development N8.846 billion, Education N22.853 billion, Agriculture N 4.645 billion, Health N12.658 billion, Water Resources N1.968 billion, Commerce, Industry and Tourism N4.429 billion, Yobe State House of Assembly N2.188 billion, Government House N 3.154 billion, Office of the SSG N 4.331 billion while Office of the Head of Service had N1.611 billion.
Earlier, Buni reviewed the performance of the 2019 budget to the Assembly where he said, “As the Honourable members may recall, N91.6 billion was budgeted to Finance Capital and Recurrent Expenditure. The actual budgetary receipts from the Federation Account Allocations, Internally Generated Revenue and other sources, however, stood at N68.9 billion or 75.2 per cent of what was projected.
“The actual total recurrent expenditure for the year now stands at N39 billion, while the capital spending stands at N25 billion. This amounts to 62 per cent and 78 per cent of implementation successes, respectively”.
Receiving the 2020 finance and appropriation bills, the Speaker of the Assembly, Ahmed Lawan Mirwa assured the governor of speedy passage of the proposed budget estimate.
