Tambuwal Signs 2020 Appropriation Bill into Law

Tambuwal Signs 2020  Appropriation Bill into Law

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal has signed the state’s 2020 appropriation bill into law three days after the state House of Assembly passed the budget valued N202.4 billion.

Tambuwal applauded members of the state assembly dominated by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their patriotism and unflinching commitment to the collective good of the people of the state.

He signed the appropriation bill into law Friday night at the Government House, Sokoto alongside the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Manir Dan’iya; the Speaker, the State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Achida; the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji and the clerk of the assembly, Alhaji Abdul-Razak Shehu, among others.

After signing the appropriation bill, the governor said despite being controlled by the APC, the assembly has rallied round the state government and supported it in the interest of serving the people of the state.

He said the approach of the assembly to governance “shall not be misplaced. The lawmakers must be commended for their uncommon patriotism to deliver democratic dividends to the people of Sokoto state. That is the crux of our commitment which supersedes party affiliations.”

Tambuwal commended the assembly for considering the budget in three weeks in line with the World Bank benchmark, thereby acknowledging the patriotism and unflinching commitment of the lawmakers to the collective good of the people of the state.

According to him, the ball is now in the court of the executive to ensure proper implementation of the budget. “We will work closely with the parliament in doing so”,

He added. Before the governor assented to the appropriation bill, Achida said the assembly was aware of the achievements of the administration despite financial constraints.

“The implementation of the 2019 budget has recorded a lot in the areas of education, health and rural development as well as many others.

“We will continue to accelerate the passage of any bill that is meant to improve the lots of the people of the state,” explained the Speaker who said that the assembly approved the budget during its sitting number 122.

Achida commended the executive for its record achievement in the modest improvement of internally generated revenue (IGR), saying the budget presented to the assembly by the executive earlier in the month had been approved in totality.

On December 24, the assembly passed the state’s 2020 appropriation bill of N202.4 billion after it adopted the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation at plenary.

Presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Malami Muhmmad (PDP-Sokoto South II) had said the committee did not add or subtract from the figures presented by the governor.

Based on genuine request by sub-committees, however, Muhmmad said the committee moved resources inwards “to accommodate some important demands and interest of our people.”

Muhammad added that the committee recommended that the state government should recruit more staff for the office of the state Auditor-General.

“This is in order to enable them have wider coverage of the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) scheme. That Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning should as much as possible rectify any error made with regards to project titles, cost and description in some Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).”

Related Articles