From Maiharaji Altine, Gusau
The Zamfara State House of Assembly has on Wednesday deliberated on the general principles of 2021 appropriation bill by downsizing the budget by more than N16 billion to enable the state government conduct its services to the end of year without any hindrance.
This was contained in a statement by the Director General Press Affairs and Public Relations of the House Mustafa Jafaru Kaura and made available to newsmen on Wednesday.
Kaura said, the decision of the House to downsize the budget followed an executive request sent to the House by Governor Bello Matawallen via a letter sent to the House duly signed by the secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe.
The letter according to Kaura was read at the floor of the House by the Speaker Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya.
“Magarya informed his colleagues that owing to security challenges facing the state and dwindling ecomic fortunes of zamfara as at present time, the government of the state cannot carry on with the huge budget deficit hence the need to downsise it by about N16 billion”.
Acccording to Kaura, the leader of the House, Hon Faruk Musa Dosara called on the attention of his colleagues to give this executive request an accelerated hearing and subsequent passage into law going by the exigency of the bill.
Hon Dosara further maintained that “since the budget was passed by this Hon House early year is not out of place to review the budget downward knowing fully that the state is now operating ipsas compliance budget”.
In his contribution a member representing Maru North Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma said “2021 revised budget is not in any way different from what happened in 2020 budget when the House deliberated and cut down last year’s budget due to covid-19 pandemic”.
He then urge his colleagues to give this executive request a speedy passage to allow the state government continue with its laudable policies and programmes. .
In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker Hon Musa Bawa Musa Yankuzo drew the attention of the House that the good works of late Hon Muhammad G Ahamad who was then the Chairman, House Committee on finance and appropriation that worked assiduously to the passage of this year’s budget should not go in vein.
He pointed out that late Hon Muhammad G Ahamad would be fondly be remembered by this Hon House.
In his ruling Speaker Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya while commending his colleagues for the maturity shown in the entire deliberation process ordered that the bill be given first and second reading.
The speaker directed the House Committee on finance and appropriation under the chairmanship of Hon Shamsu Hassan Basko who is a certified chattered accountant of Nigeria (CNA) to scrutinise the bill and report back to plenary in the next one week .
