Bauchi: Gov Mohammed signs N197bn 2022 budget into law

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, on Friday signed the state’s 2022 Appropriation Bill of over N197 billion into law.

The Governor assented the Appropriation Bill earlier passed by the State House of Assembly during a brief ceremony at the Government House, Bauchi, in the presence of some members of the Assembly, including its Speaker, Right Honourable Abubakar Sulaiman and top government officials.

Speaking after assenting the bill, Governor Mohammed expressed confidence that the timely passage and subsequent approval of the estimate by the Assembly would provide his administration the opportunity for effective implementation of the budget.

The governor disclosed that the budget would focus on the completion of ongoing projects as well as ensuring full financial autonomy of the State Assembly and the judiciary.

Mohammed then charged those involved in the budget implementation to work in synergy with a view to complementing his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of lives of the people of the state.

Presenting the budget to the governor for his assent, the Speaker, Hon Sulaiman said the proposed budget was reviewed upward from N195 billion to over N197 billion.

He explained that the budget review, which he said was part of the Assembly’s constitutional mandate was to cover some omitted counterparts funding for some donor agencies for the overall development of the State.

Sulaiman commended the governor for presenting the budget in good time, which he said allowed the lawmakers to intensively subject it to legislative actions before being finally passed.

DAILY POST reports that Governor Mohammed had on Thursday, 18th November, 2021 presented a budget of N195.355 billion on the floor of the Assembly for the 2022 fiscal year.

The proposed budget, according to the governor, was made up of N84,375,180,518 for recurrent expenditure, which was 43 percent of the total budget and capital expenditure of N110,620,426,625, amounting to 57 percent of the budget.

Governor Mohammed informed that the 2022 proposed budget was 8.5 percent lower than that of the 2022, adding that, “The reduction was arrived at in order to align our projections with the current economic realities especially relating to our ability to meet anticipated revenues.”