From Maiharaji Altine Gusau
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has presented N160. 248 billion to the state House of Assembly for the year 2022.
Presenting the budget on Tuesday, Matawalle said, the sum of N80.181.655 billion was for recurrent revenue and N80,066 was for capital revenue.
Governor Matawalle said, he was presenting the budget at a period of heightened expectations from the people of the state, following the havoc done to the global, national, and local economies by the COVID pandemic in the year 2020 as well as the slow rate of recovery in the year 2021.
He said, “There are now glimmers of hope that the year 2022 is going to be a promising one going by the rate at which economies are rebounding, especially the significant improvement seen during the last quarter of 2021”.
“Of significance to Nigeria and our dear State, commodity prices are picking up, including that of oil which remains the major source of our country’s revenue and foreign exchange”.
“Another ray of hope is the brighter prospect of the ongoing war against banditry which has taken a huge toll on our economy over the years”.
“While it is still early for us to declare that we have won the battle against the decade-long banditry, the stiffer measures that were taken across the northwest in the past three months to contain this hydra-headed evil have raised hope of the citizens and gave those who want to do business with our State reason to be optimistic”.
The Governor maintained that, despite the challenge of banditry and its devastating consequences on the economy and the social well-being of our people, his administration has forged ahead with the task of rebuilding the tate and laying a more formidable foundation for its development.
“Another ray of hope is the brighter prospect of the ongoing war against banditry which has taken a huge toll on our economy over the years”.
“While it is still early for us to declare that we have won the battle against the decade-long banditry, the stiffer measures that were taken across the northwest in the past three months to contain this hydra-headed evil have raised hope of the citizens and gave those who want to do business with our State reason to be optimistic”.
The Governor maintained that, despite the challenge of banditry and its devastating consequences on the economy and the social well-being of our people, his administration has forged ahead with the task of rebuilding the tate and laying a more formidable foundation for its development.
In his speech at the occasion, the Speaker of the House, Honourable Nasiru Muazu Magarya used the opportunity to call upon the state government to augment the monthly federation allocation to the state.
The Speaker said that the House has enacted avenues as powers needed by the Governor to generate more revenue into the state coffers by passing into law the revenue generation and utilisation law which has since been assented into law.
He maintained that the law has given the government all powers and legal framework on how to generate revenue through all legal means and also block leakages that will hinder revenue sourcing particularly revenue generating agencies of the state government, as well as provisions to deal decisively with economic saborteurs and tax defaulters as being provided by the revenue law.
Speaker Magarya also called on all revenue generating agencies of the State, particularly state owned tertiary institutions to henceforth remit all monies realised through sales of admission forms, registration exercise and other accommodation fees to the single treasury account of the state to enable the government of the state to stands on its feet economically.
He commended the doggedness, courage and forsight of the Governor for ensuring that peace and tranquility are gradually returning to the hitherto troubled state of Zamfara.
The Speaker concluded that, “Owing to drastic and punitive measures embarked upon by our peace-loving Governor occasioned by the strict enforcement and implementation of executive orders meant to curtail the activities of recalcitrant bandits and banditry in the state, peace is gradually returning to the state”.
