Sam Kaye
The Deputy Governor of Borno state Umar Kadafur has said that the State Government will not entertain any financial that is not captured in the budget of 2025.
He said this during a town hall meeting held recently by the ministry of budget and planning to listen to stakeholders and take inputs against the 2025 budget which is already being tinkered by the budget ministry.
Kadafur told the gathering of stake holders recently in Maiduguri that the government was concerned about about fiscal transparency adding that the fact that the executive is sticking to these details with precision indicates a high level of fiscal discipline by them.
The Deputy Governor urged the tinkers of the budget to be mindful of the 25 year plan of the State in all they do concerning the critical sectors of the budget.
“I believe this town hall meeting will bring about coordination of transparency into the budget for the good of the people. This is why I wish to use this opportunity to assure you that the state government will adhere strictly to the details of transparency which is needed at this critical time ” said Kadafur.
Commissioner of Budget and planning, Engr Babagana Mallumbe noted in his remarks that the budget for 2025 is going to be a blue print for collective appreciation of the economic challenges affecting the state.
He assured that there would be a very strong emphasis on the improvement of the health care of the people and the proper resettlements of internally displaced people (idps). Who are already in their ancestral local councils but yet to be given homes
Mallumbe called on stakeholders to participate actively in the pre-budget process which he noted would ultimately bring about a robust 2025 fiscal package which would be fulfilling to the people at this critical time when a lot of them are trying to settle down after the unexpected flood in the state capital.
Many stake holders gave their goodwill messages including the Nigerian labour Congress (NLC) who called on the tinkers of the budget to capture their lingering arrears spanning from 2016 to 2020.
They equally called on the ministry to include the issue of training and retraing which is quite critical to them.
Responding to some of the challenges before the budget Ministry, Chief Adviser to the Governor and Coordinator sustainable development, partnership and humanitarian support Dr Mario Mandara said that she will engage Governor Zulum in a bid to renovate the special school for the disables in the state.
She assured that she will liaise with the head of service to ensure that a sizable number of physically challenged people who have the right qualifications are employed in the service.
Mario called on stakeholders to ensure that they submit long term primary issues into the budget even as they consider the 25 year plan of the government aimed at growing the economy when building the budget of 2025 fiscal year.
The 2024 budget for Borno State was pegged at 358.7 billion, which was signed into law on January 10, 2024 by Governor Babagana Zulum.
The budget includes: Over N208.4 billon for capital receipts and N150.4 billion for recurrent expenditures.
A N 61 billion supplementary budget was equally approved by the House of Assembly after the damnation of the recent flood disaster which took the lives of over 150 souls after the collapse of Alau Dam about 25,km away from the city centre of Maiduguri.