Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
The Gombe State Governor, Mr. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has signed the state government’s revised 2020 budget into law yesterday.
The initial budget of N130. 829 billion, which was tagged the ‘Budget of Change” was reviewed downward to the sum of N107.371 billion due to the global economic shocks that was occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected national and personal incomes.
The revised capital expenditure for the 2020 fiscal year now stands at N57,006,609,493.48 as against the initial figure of N71,046,953,693.48 while the recurrent expenditure was reviewed down to N50,364,799,100.00 against the earlier signed figure of N59,781,783,900.00.
Yahaya explained that the appropriation law was revised in line with the current realities that have constrained the state government to review its priorities.
He said that despite the downwards review of the budget, the state government would ensure that health, education, agriculture and other critical sectors would remain the top priorities of the state.
The Governor said that the health sector’s budget was increased to demonstrate the administration’s resolve to combat COVID-19 and its socio-economic impact on the lives and means of livelihood of the people.
He said the sum of N500 million has been provided for the task force to boost the state’s health sector and intervention activities like the establishment of isolation centres, renovating, upgrading and equipping of the health care facilities, the procurement and provision of medical supplies as well as the commencement of testing for COVID-19 in Gombe and the upgrading of the general hospitals in Kumo, Billiri and Bajoga.
Yahaya said that the state government made provisions in the revised budget that would rebuild other sectors of the state’s economy in order to enable the state prepare ahead of post COVID-19 challenges.
He said that N300 million has been provided for agricultural inputs like seeds and chemicals while youths and women empowerment initiatives received N1 billion each.
