Bauchi Proposes N195.3bn For 2022 Fiscal Year

By Idris Khalid

The Bauchi state government has budgeted the sum of N195, 355, 607,143 for its capital and recurrent services in the 2022 fiscal year.

The amount is made up of a recurrent expenditure of N84, 375, 180, 510 or 43% and a capital expenditure of N110, 620, 426, 625 or 57% of the budget size’

Presenting the budget before the State House of Assembly Thursday, Governor Bala Mohammed said that 2022 of the state is 8.5% lower than that last year.

He explained that the reduction in the budget size was arrived at in line of government projection of the current economic realities, especially related to its ability to meet anticipated revenues.

According to him, the process of the preparations of the budget has been all inclusive as budget public hearings were conducted in three senatorial districts of the state while inputs from the state stakeholders were solicited and incorporated into the budget.

The governor gave a recurrent revenue estimates of the budget as N100, 893, 132, 550.25k made up of internally general revenue of N24, 494, 940, 253 and statutory allocation of N66, 938, 107, 748, vat of N15, 608, 321, 097 giving a total of N107, 541, 369, 098.

He gave a recurrent expenditure estimates of N84, 735, 180, 519 made up of personnel cost of N37, 004, 732, 226; overhead cost of N47, 730, 448. 292; capital receipts of N71, 926, 293, 537 in areas of internal external loans of N37, 359, 244, 994; aids and grants of N27, 035, 467, 936, as well as other capital receipts of N7, 531, 580, 607, making a total of N71, 926, 293, 537.

Senator Bala Mohammed gave a capital expenditure of the 2022 budget as N110, 620, 426, 625 in sectors of Administration N7, 485, 890, 598; Economic N57, 074, 814, 525; Law and Justice N1, 860, 000, Regional N13, 957, 626, 592; and Social sector getting N30, 232, 094, 520.

The Governor solicited the continued support of the legislature in the efforts towards the development of Bauchi state, and in improving the quality of lives of state citizens.

He tagged the 2022 Appropriation as ‘Budget of Consolidation and Continued Commitment’ and appealed to the House to expedite action towards passing the budget into law to enable government implement the programmes and projects that would have significant impact on the people of the state.

Responding, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Yakubu Suleiman described the budget presentation as one of the beauties of sovereign powers of democracy as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as amended.

He therefore extended the House appreciation to Governor Bala Mohammed for the budget presentation which, he observed, was in fulfillment of the obligation of his office as provided by the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The speaker assured the governor of the House commitment to pass the budget before December 2021 ending for the good people of Bauchi state through working with the MDAs to deliver a budget that would meet the yearnings and aspiration of the people.

“While doing that we will maintain high standard of integrity so that our deliberations and contributions would be motivated by considerations of the best interests of the people of Bauchi state”.

“From the available records at our disposal and oversight functions by the various House standing committees and other reliable sources, the implementation of the 2021 Appropriation Law which was 58.4% as at the end of third quota of 2021 has attained a significant milestone towards the development of the state.

This, according to him, might not be unconnected with the determination and commitment of the governor and close monitoring of the Assembly to ensure equitable distribution of resources accrued to the state for the benefit of the citizenry.

Abubakar assured the governor that the house will continue to work together with the executive arm for the betterment of the good people of the state.