BY ADAKOLE ADAKOLE, Sokoto –
Governor Amimu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state has proposed a budget of ₦176,685,535,633.47 for the 2021 fiscal year.
Tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Socioeconomic Emancipation,” the proposal was formally presented to the State House of Assembly on Friday for deliberation and approval.
Governor Tambuwal told the lawmakers that the 2021 budget was to ensure, amongst other things, completion of ongoing projects, facilitates human capital development and fund new projects as well.
Tambuwal who noted that the outgoing year 2020 came with it’s numerous challenges for all countries of the world at large including Nigeria, added that the COVID-19 pandemic led to severe economic hardship globally.
Bringing the scenario back to Nigeria, Tambuwal said aside the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation was equally confronted with the challenges of insecurity, majorly by bandits, cattle rustling, kidnappers, and armed robbery which also had negative effect on the economy, livelihood and humanity.
While stressing that his government remained committed to ensuring transparency and good governance for effective service delivery, Tambuwal applauded the level of the state response to all the challenge
“In the coming 2021 fiscal year, government will lay emphasis on legacy projects, dry season farming, irrigation and reconstruction of flood-ravaged infrastructure, in order to safeguard and solidify our achievements,” Tambuwal assured.
The expenditure distribution of the 2021 budget showed that, Personnel Cost will gulp ₦36,199,656,390.09; Overhead Cost #30,032,230,567.20; Pension and Gratuities Public Debt Charges #4,200,000,000.00; Interest Payment on Debt ₦9,126,517,733.05; Internal Debt Services (IDS) ₦1.6bn and; Capital Projects to gulp. ₦95,527,130,973.13.
Tambuwal in his usual commitment to uplifting the state through education, further ensured that the education sector still gets the highest vote of N38,784,571,035.78, which is 21.9%, in the 2021 budget sectorial outlay.
That was followed by the Health sector with N17,905,299,159.00 constituting 17.1% and Agriculture, N20,770,716,027.29, representing 11.8%.
“Capital Expenditure is 54% while Recurrent Spending is 46% of the Budget Total. The budget will focus on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged/destroyed by this year’s flood disaster, while maintaining priority on the completion of ongoing infrastructural projects and the initiation of new ones across the state”.
Speaking on tbe state 2021 fiscal year budget proposal as presented before the lawmakers by governor Amimu Waziri Tambuwal, the Speaker of the State 9th Assembly, Rt Hon Amimu Achida APC described Tambuwal as a leader whose interest for the development of the state should be supported by all.
Hon Amimu Achida further assured that the State lawmakers are partners in progress with the governor Amimu Waziri Tambuwal led administration and will ensure speedy consideration of the 2021 fiscal year budget..
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