By Godwin John
The Niger state Governor, Alhaji Muhammed Bago has presented a budget estimate of N613.2 billion billion to the state house of assembly for consideration for the 2024 fiscal years.
The Budget is made up of N149.2billion as recurrent expenditure, representing 24.3 percent and N446billion as capital expenditure representing 75.6 percent.
This figure is higher than the 2023 Budget estimate of N238.9billion presented by his predecessor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello.
Presenting the budget before the state house of assembly in Minna on Tuesday, the Governor said the 2024 Budget Proposal is a pivotal roadmap toward the state shared vision for a prosperous future for the state.
The Budget which the governor said it is “the budget of the future” will not only addresses the immediate needs of the state but will also serve as the road-map for a visionary twenty-year journey embodied in Niger State Future Initiative.
Bago disclosed that the 2024 budget will be financed through Recurrent Revenue of N298,0billion which is made up of Statutory Allocation of N155.9billon, Value Added Tax of N50.6billion, Internally Generated Revenue of N61.8billion.
Other source of funding the budget also include Excess Crude/Other Revenue of N9.5billion, expected refund from SURE-P of N20 billion.
He pointed further that “The Budget is also to be financed by Capital Receipts of N315,322,146,178.00 which is made up of N256,459,074,825.00 and N58,763,071,353.00 as loans and grants respectively”.
The governor pointed out that in pursuit of his administration’s transformation agenda into building a New and sustainable Niger, the 2024 Budget will focus on the some priority areas which he said includes, Urban Renewal and Rural Transformation, Security of Lives and Property, Infrastructural Development.
Others he stated further includes Agriculture and Food Security, Education, Health; Water and Sanitation, Women and Children, Environmental Sustainability and People with Special Needs and Elderly Care.
“The 2024 Budget will also focus on self-sufficiency through intensive internal revenue generation by exploring all available sources, blocking leakages and all revenue-generating MDAs to account for all revenue receipts”.
To achieve this the governor ordered the immediate suspension of the hitherto practice of “generate and utilize” by all MDAs including tertiary institutions, stressing that “Mechanisms for the operation of this directive are being worked out as we diversify the State revenue base”.
He therefore used the occasion of the budget presentation to highlight the achievements of his administration since may 29, adding that “we embarked on transformation efforts for a New and Sustainable Niger to change the negative narratives and improve the quality of lives of citizens of the state. We thus embarked on the following: “The Groundbreaking of urban renewal projects in Minna and the Ring Road Project in Bida, Payment of 20% subsidy on 100 No trucks of fertilizers, Payment of counter-parts arrears to Donor Supported Projects in the State (such as ATAPS, NG-CARES, Value Chain Development, FADAMA, AGILE, Acresal Projects and others), Support to dry season farmers for the cultivation of 4,000 hectares of land, Procurement of 200 units of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Buses for ease of transportation, Repairs and fixing of 33no existing NSTA buses, among others.
The speaker of the state house of assembly, Rt. Hon Abdulmalik Sarkindaji assured the governor that in the 2024 fiscal year, the 10th assembly intensify on it’s oversight on Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure value for every fund that is appropriated, high level compliance with budgetary provisions and implementation of programmes.
According to the speaker “we are interested in the success of this budget and as partners in progress, we will doggedly play our role using all legislative instruments at our disposal”.
He therefore urged the governor to as a matter of necessity, direct his commissioners, permanent secretaries and head of agencies to ensure they appear before the house standing committee as and when scheduled.
[19/12, 15:52] EMMA COUSIN: Niger Assembly Appeal to FG over the deplorable condition of Federal roads in the state.
@ Says bad roads fueling Insecurity in the state
From Godwin John
The Niger State House of Assembly has appealed to the federal government to as a matter of urgency, come to the aid of the state government towards addressing the deplorable condition of federal roads in the state.
The house said bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements have continue to take advantage of the bad condition of these roads to unleash terror of innocent travelers and residents.
The speaker of the state house of assembly Rt Abdulmalik Sarkindaji stated this on Tuesday in his remarks during the presentation of this year’s budget to the house by the governor, Rt. Hon Umar Mohammed Bago.
The speaker said the entire federal roads in the state are in the state of dilapidation and this he maintained has made both commercial and economic lives very difficult and miserable.
Of great concern to the Speaker was the way and manner, bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements take advantage of the bad spots of these roads to unleash terror on the people.
Sarkindaji listed some of these roads to includes, Minna-Zungeru-Kontagora roads, Kontagora-Rijau road, Minna-Suleja road, Kontagora-Bangi road and Bida-Minna road.
He said these roads are urgently begging for attention, adding that “we therefore appealed to the federal government to urgently undertake construction of these roads in the fiscal year”.
The speaker pointed out that the appeal has become necessary”because Niger State is one of the stronghold of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the country, and it is important that our people should have value for their electoral decision and sacrifice for the party”.
He nonetheless commended the federal government for ongoing intensive and successful military operations against the Bandits and other insurgents across the state, stressing that peace in the state is critical to the federal capital, the seat of government.
“It is worthy of mention that in this year’s farming season, farmers were able to harvest their farm produce without hindrance by these criminals”.
He equally gave credits to the governor and his administration for bringing to an end, the incidences of streets fighting in Minna the state capital which had become a norm in the past, leading to lose of lives, disruption of economic activities and lose of revenue.
The speaker then commended the governor for maintaining positive relationship with the legislative arm of the government which he said has translated to the little achievements so far recorded by his administration since may 29.
“I commend the vision and leadership by the governor in crafting a budget that echoes the aspirations of our state. Together through the successful marriage of policy and fiscal responsibility, we are sowing the seeds of a prosperous, environmentally conscious for the state. Let us continue to work hand in hand to nurture this green revolution and real the bountiful rewards it promises for generations to come”.
