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Budget documents are the most important document outside the 1999 Nigeria constitution. It is an annual event that federal, state and local governments present their proposed budgets to the respective legislature for approval. Unfortunately in Kogi State we do not have local council legislators in the past 2 years under the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, which will be 2 years on the 27th, January 2018.
It is disappointing and condemnable that the Governor has refused to separate the constitutional responsibility of Budget presentation and its achievements and challenges through the state assembly to the people of the state. But rather continued to say as contained in his speech, that he will roll out his achievement to the people during his 2 years anniversary celebrations. 2 years anniversary celebration is different from Budget presentation, as Budget presentation is a constitutional matter and cannot be treated with levity.
More worrisome, is the figure quoted in the Governor’s Speech as delivered on the 21stDecember 2017, which contain as follows:
“That the amount approved by the Kogi State House of Assembly for 2017 Appropriation was N185,057, 744,523 as against what was contained in the final document that was published by the same Government which was N174, 851,544,523. When was the difference approved when there was no Supplementary Budget Approved by the Committee on Finance and Appropriation of the Kogi State House of Assembly throughout 2017”
We challenge the Kogi State House of Assembly to respond to this variation as contained in the governor’s Speech and the Budget presentation presented to the Kogi State house of Assembly for Approval for 2018
Can a Governor that swore to uphold the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, continue to implement it in isolation?
– Idris Miliki Abdul
Executive Director,
Centre Human Rights and Conflict Resolution,
Lokoja.
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