By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
The Chairman of Billiri Local Government Area (LGA) in Gombe state, Eglah Idris, has assured that the 2025 budget of the Local Government will focus on projects that have direct bearing on the people.
She has therefore tasked Community leaders and elected persons in the area to work with their constituents to generate budget proposals that help alleviate the sufferings of the grassroots people.
Eglah gave this assurance during the community engagement ahead of the 2025 budget cycle organized by the Council for representatives of different strata of people from the LGA.
While stressing that the Council will carry along all sections of the society in the budget planning and administration, she emphasized the need for the community leaders to hold broad consultation with the various units and wards to ensure capturing critical needs of their communities.
The LG Chairman who decried challenges in collection of internally generated revenue of the Local Government, promised to address the problem, and revive the revenue drive for additional income and effective utilization.
The Chairman also expressed appreciation to Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his leadership and support, as well as the initiative of engaging community members in budget preparation.
Earlier in his address, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, represented by Abdulrazak Abdulmumini, said, the essence of the community engagement towards budget process was to make it participatory.
The Commissioner therefore called on communities and organized groups to utilize the opportunity by presenting the most pressing needs of their communities to Government right at the budget formulation stage, to ensure capturing and implementation.
Treasurer of the LGA, Augustine Kurungu, highlighted some of the projects executed in the last fiscal year to include renovation of the Council Chamber; renovation of the Chairman’s office; and the renovation of the Deputy Chairman’s office.
Others, he said, included repairs of boreholes; renovation of Government lodge; and the renovation of former College of Education staff quarters in Kalmai.
Participants during the community engagement included traditional and religious leaders who spoke, emphasizing the need for the Council to explore more revenue sources to compliment what is received from the federation account.
Councillors, District Heads, Village Heads, representatives of religious bodies as well as civil society groups were all part of the engagement.
