Kwara Assembly passes 2021 budget with additional N14bn

The Kwara State House of Assembly has passed the N137.6 billion 2021 Appropriation Bill into law.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had presented the fiscal proposal to the House late last year.

In the proposed N123 billion budget, Mr AbdulRazaq said the government was prioritising the new national minimum wage, cash-backed promotion for workers, tech-driven reforms in the education sector and other social investments.

The governor later asked the lawmakers to increase the budget to N134.9 billion.

On Thursday, the lawmakers reviewed the budget even higher to N137.6 billion, according to a statement by the media aide to the Speaker, Ibrahim Sheriff.

He said the budget estimate was passed after considering the Report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation on the budget proposal at the Committee of Supply and laid before the House.

Presenting the report on Thursday, the committee chairman, Ibrahim Ambali, representing Owode-Onire Constituency, said the proper implementation of the budget would turn around the economic fortunes of the state.

Mr Ambali said the state government has taken appropriate measures to tap into its internal resources to improve the well-being of the people.

He said the legislature was ready to support the executive through constant oversight functions on capital projects to ensure transparency.

“This year’s budget size which consisted of 51 per cent recurrent expenditure and 49 per cent capital, scaled through third reading before final passage during today’s plenary.

“The Speaker, Yakubu Danlad-Salihu, therefore directed the Clerk of the House, Alimah Jummai Kperogi, to produce the clean copy of the Appropriation Bill for Governor’s assent,” the statement read.

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