By Olatunde Odimayo.
The Kogi State House of Assembly has described the draft budget of N174.851, 544,523 presented to the State House of Assembly for 2017 fiscal year by Governor Yahaya Bello as too ambitious.
The Assembly while committing the draft budget to the House Committee on Finance, Appropriation and Budget Monitoring after passing first, and second reading, observed a 67% increase in the capital expenditure which is higher than the current expenditure.
Governor Bello had on December 22, 2016 during presentation of the budget estimate to the House described the Appropriation Bill as a budget of new direction.
Our Kogi State Correspondent reports that members of the Kogi State Legislature during Thursday February 2 plenary discovered reduction in personnel cost which they promised to critically address during budget defense by ministries, departments and agencies.
The Chairman House Committee on Finance Appropriation and Budget Monitoring, Hon. John Abah while briefing journalists shortly after the plenary disclosed that ministries, departments and agencies will begin their budget defense from Wednesday February 8.
