By Olukayode Michael, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has presented an appropriation bill of N125.8 billion to the State Assembly for 2019 fiscal year.
Against the trend in recent year, education got the highest allocation with N22.4 billion, reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement efforts had led sway for sometimes now.
The appropriation bill tagged: “Budget of Consolidation” gave the three components of education: secondary, primary and tertiary sub-sectors N9.2 billion, N4.2 billion and N8.9 billion respectively amounting to N22.4 billion making it the highest recipient of resources.
Health sector followed with N15 billion, N11 billion was allocated for payment of gratuities through office of head of service captured under the N18 billion proposed for the Governor’s office through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
The allocation to the Head of Service Office is to fund some agencies and capital projects like the Abuja House, a project built by the state government at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Other sectors like Works and Transport was allocated N7.4 billion, Water Resources got N5.3 billion, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement got N4.7 billion, agriculture N3.9 billion, Environment got N3.4 billion while N3.1 billion was set aside for construction and maintenance of roads by through the State Roads Maintenance Agency.
Shettima while admitting the appropriation bill to be his last, said the N125,828,310,000 proposed for both recurrent and capital expenditures would be financed from Internally Generated Revenue of N17,498,355,000, Federation Account Allocation of N86,759,118,000 and Capital Receipt of N21,570,837,000.
The Governor proposed capital expenditure of N61,998,304,000 and recurrent expenditure of N63,830,006,000.
He said that unlike in all previous years where capital expenditures were regularly higher than recurrent, but for the 2019 fiscal year capital expenditure is less because most capital projects are either completed or at various completion stages requiring funding.
He added that from the recurrent expenditure, government will use about N11 billion for payment of gratuities to retirees.
In his review of the 2018 budget, Shettima reeled series of projects, their locations and levels of completion.
He stressed to the lawmakers the 44 new Mega schools targeting about 50,000 children whose parents were killed by Boko Haram insurgents, while reminding political office holders of the transient nature of power.
Receiving the bill, the Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Kareem Lawan promised to expedite action on it.