The Kwara State House of Assembly says it will tailor 2017 budget
towards ensuring the realisation of the vision of the State Governor of
creating more employment opportunities, increased Internally Generated
Revenue and sustainable economic development of the state.
The
Speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad gave the assurance in Ilorin during the on going
debate on the general principles of the 2017 Appropriation Bill before
the legislature.
Dr Ahmad who insisted vehemently that the budget
should be based on something realisable assured that 2017 budget that
would be passed by the House would be targeted towards achieving
specific goals and vision of the State Governor.
He However
expressed reservation over poor allocation to the agricultural sector
and process of tapping the potentials of Owu fall this year, stressing
that agriculture and tourism globally had been discovered to be
veritable means of creating massive employment and alternative sources
of diversifying the economy and funding of governance.
In his
submission, the Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation,
Hon Mashood Bakare who based his submission on the ten month actual
performance noted with delight that 2016 budget could be said to have
performed well,and praised the Governor for his ingenuity in
establishing the State Internal Revenue Service whose performance he
said was 88.3% as at October 2016.
He noted with delight that
the State would be spending over N70.986bn on capital projects
representing 52% of the total budget to fast track socio- economic
transformation of the State.
Also speaking on the Budget, the
Chairman House Committee on Energy, Works and Transport Hon. Mathew
Babaoye disclosed that a sum of N6.5bn is earmarked for capital projects
under the Ministry of Works this year.
He said the road
leading to Owu Fall be captured in this year’s budget to ensure proper
harnessing of the tourism potentials of Owu Fall through Public Private
Partnership.
In his debate, a member representing Ilesha /
Gwanara Constituency Hon.Mohammed Umar Gunu said allocation to provision
of Water in the budget was insufficient to cater for the water need of
the people of the State.
He urged the State Government to make
the construction of Ilesha Baruba campus of the State University a
priority in this year’s budget, in view of its strategic importance to
socio- economic emancipation of the State.
