Sokoto, Taraba governors budget N220.5b, N96b for 2018

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

Ishaku creates two new ministries
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has presented to the Sokoto State House of Assembly a budgetary estimate of N220.5 billion for the 2018 fiscal year.Tambuwal, while presenting the budget yesterday, said that N152.8 billion, representing 69.9 per cent, was for capital expenditure while N67.6 billion, representing over 30 per cent, was for recurrent expenditure.

He said for the third year running, education sector got the highest allocation with 26.1 per cent of the total budget, followed by health sector which was allocated N20.932 billion and agriculture getting the third highest allocation with N16.535 billion.The governor, who stated that Ministry of Energy would be created in 2018 to provide conducive economic and commercial environment in the state, urged the lawmakers to expedite action on passage of the budget.

Speaker of the Assembly, Salihu Maidaji, who commended Tambuwal for achievements recorded since he came to power in 2015, said that the lawmakers would work extra hard to ensure the speedy passage of the appropriation bill.In a similar vein, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba State has budgeted N96,597,789.38 for the 2018 fiscal year.

Also, he announced the creation of two additional ministries, which will take off in January next year.Ishaku, while presenting the 2018 appropriation bill tagged budget of “Sustainable Growth” to the state House of Assembly, gave the new ministries as Mining and Power.

He said the two newly-created ministries have become relevant to the growth of the state following the availability of numerous mineral resources and channels to generate power.

“Ministry of Mining has been created to specifically serve as government policy and supervisory organ that will be saddled with the responsibility of developing policies and programmes aimed at attracting investors into the state and ensuring that the state takes maximum benefit of the solid minerals wealth that we are endowed with,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Speaker, Peter Abel Diah, said members of the House are indeed optimistic that “this budget will further consolidate the gains recorded in the previous years.”He, therefore, reiterated the willingness of the members to fast-track the speedy passage of the budget.