By Dauda R PamMaiduguri
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of BORNO, has laid before the state house of assembly an estimated appropriation bill of 208.7bn for the 2021 financial year.
He tagged it the “People’s Budget of Recovery and Consolidation”, with an estimated recurrent and capital expenditure of N72.7bn and N135bn respectively and that it is envisaged to be financed from recurrent revenue of N90.2bn and capital receipt of N118bn.
He said, the budget will consolidate on the recovery efforts of the government and set foundation for the implementation of the state Development Plan.
According to him the ministry of Works gulped the highest allocation of N19bn,Education N16bn while ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement carted away over N15bn only.
His administration, he hinted, will continue to pursue with vigour the resettlement of more communities, i.e. Malamfatori, Kareto, Abadam and Sabon Gari to meet the target of closing down IDP camps by May, 2021.
“In view of the colossal damage to trade and business activities as well as other means of livelihood by the insurgency, government in collaboration with our development partners will empower youths and business owners through vocational training, grants and soft loans to enable them become self reliant”.
About N7bn has been already been earmarked to provide the needed intervention to restore sustainable peace and support in the security sector in the state.
Responding, the speaker of the State house of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, enumerated that within the last 18 months, the legislature passed 26 laws and assured the GOVERNOR of the speedy passage of the 2021 Appropriation bill for assent.
