Ortom, Zulum, Mohammed sign revised budgets into law

Governors of Benue, Borno and Bauchi states have signed the reviewed budgets of their respective states into law. Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, yesterday, signed the reviewed N129.8 billion budget and five other bills into law.

The executive arm had sent the budget reviewed from N167.2 billion to N129.8 billion to the legislature for scrutiny. Mohammed, while assenting to the budget, said it was scaled down to meet the current realities of the state’s economy.

In the document, N68,985,86535 (53 per cent) was allocated for recurrent expenditure, while N60,866,458, 845 (47 per cent) was planned for capital expenditure.

He said: “I must also commended the House of Assembly members for passing five other bills ­– Public Procurement, Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) and upgrading of AD Rufai College for Legal Studies to College of Education.”

The other bills include renaming College of Nursing Studies, Bauchi, to Dangote College of Nursing, Bauchi; and College of Health Technology, Ningi, to Bill and Melinda Gates College of Technology, Ningi.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue, while signing the state’s revised budget of N108.8 billion into law at Government House, Makurdi, on Tuesday, noted that the earlier budget of N190.8 billion was passed by the House of Assembly and duly signed into law on December 30, 2020 for implementation from January 1, 2020.

He, however, explained that by the end of the first quarter, it became imperative to revise the budget, attributing the development to global economic shocks created by the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia as well as the disruptive impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to him, it is in response to the changing circumstances that government was forced to revise the macroeconomic projections on which the approved budget was set. Also, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno signed the N108.8 billion revised budget of the state into law.

While assenting to the revised budget on Monday at Government House, Maiduguri, Zulum disclosed: “The downward review of the budget from N147 billion to N108.8 billion (less 35 per cent) was due to the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the global economy.

“This administration is committed to efficient implementation of the 2020 Budget.” He, therefore, directed the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Usman Shuwa, to liaise with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to ensure strict compliance to budgetary provisions.