State Assembly

CSO calls for restructuring of Kogi 2024 Budget

Published

1 year ago

December 20, 2023

Super Administrator

***Urges Assembly to conclude process before passage

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

As Kogi State House of Assembly considers for approval, the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N258,27 billion for 2024 fiscal year, Initiative for Grassroot Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA) has tasked the House to put in place, mechanisms for restructuring of the 2024 proposed budget.

Mr Hamza Aliyu, Executive Director of INGRA INGRA), a Civil Society Organization (CSO), who submitted a memorandum to the lawmakers during budget defence by MDAs said the proposed restructuring should provide maximum benefit for the people.

In the memorandum, INGRA observed that the recurrent to capital ratio of 56:44 is not conducive for development as it means that the government intends to spend more on personnel and overhead than on capital projects which will benefit the majority of the Citizens of Kogi State.

Recall that Governor Bello on Monday, December 11, presented N258,278,501,339.00 proposed 2024 budget to the House of Assembly for consideration and approval.

Of the N258.2 billion, N145.73 billion representing 56.43 percent was budgeted for Recurrent Expenditure while N112.54 billion representing 43.57 percent was earmarked for Capital Expenditure.

Aliyu noted that there was the need to reverse this trend as he maintained that the borrowing plans of the state government was worrisome, taking into cognizance, increase in the revenue as shown in the budget outlay.

The INGRA Executive Director said that more worrisome was that more than 100 per cent of the Recurrent Revenue for 2023 was used for Recurrent Expenditure leaving a deficit of more than N13 billion.

He said that there was therefore, urgent need to tame thi reoccurring trend in the state’s public sector finance management taking into consideration the fact that over N17 billion was paid out as debt in 2023 (as at September) while N15 billion is estimated for debt payments in 2024.

Aliyu further contended that the Budget did not make plans for savings.

“It would have looked good if there was a fund kept aside for emergencies such an economic recession, taking into consideration that majority of our income is tied around a single product which is currently witnessing volatility in the market with the Israeli-Palestinian war going on.

“No provision is made for the reticulation of the Greater Lokoja Water Scheme. The scheme which is expected to generate 10 million gallons of water per day and end the city’s perennial water crisis due to poor resource allocation and human capacity.

“The reticulation was to ensure the effective distribution of water from the new waterworks to parts of Lokoja and the adjoining towns of Ganaja, Zango, Kabba junction Obajana and Gadumo”, he said.

Aliyu observed that the budgetary allocation for provision of dump sites, waste collection Vans and other waste management issues under the ministry of environment as well as the Ministry of Works were grossly inadequate and should be reviewed upwards.

He decried the N8.8 billion budgetary allocation to the Agriculture sector which he said, fell far below the 2003 Maputo Declaration which Nigeria is a signatory.

He said the Declaration enjoined States and Nations to invest at least 10 per cent of their Budgets in Agriculture adding that implication, the sector ought to be allocated N25.8 billion (representing 10 per cent) in view of the persistent high cost of food and inflationary trend in the State.

“The Budget allocation of less than N8.8 billion (less than three per cent of the total budget) means that the government does not intend to improve the sector, which has been shown as the fastest means of sustainable poverty reduction”, he said. (Ends)

State Assembly

Kogi Speaker sets up 7-man committee to ascertain revenue accruals to state

Published

9 months ago

March 28, 2024

Super Administrator

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Speaker of Kogi House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf has constituted a seven-member committee to investigate and ascertain the total revenue accruing to the state government from various sectors of the state economy.

The Speaker who constituted the committee at plenary on Thursday in Lokoja said the resolution was informed by the inability of a previous committee to deliver on the mandate.

Yusuf explained that it was imperative to get correct data on the total revenue that accrues to the state from time to time, stressing that this would guarantee in short and long term, rapid infrastructural and human developments of the state.

He said the terms of reference of the committee would be given them as he directed the committee members to report back in the next eight weeks.

The Speaker named Hon. Olawumi Jacob (APC-Mopamuro) as Chairman of the Committee, and Hon. Akus Lawal (APC-Ankpa 1), Co Chairman.

Others are Hon. Idrees Maikudi (APC-Kogi-KK), Hon. Jibrin Abu (APC-Ajaokuta), Hon. Abdulrasaq Suleiman (APC-Okene Town), Hon. Emmanuel Obaro (APC-Yagba East) and Alhaji Muhammed Bello Abdul is to serve as Committee Clerk

State Assembly

Civil Society Situation Room urges Kogi Assembly to make people-oriented, implementable laws

Published

9 months ago

March 24, 2024

Super Administrator

***harps on Public Hearing before passage of bills

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) operating in Kogi to partner the state House of Assembly to make people-oriented and implementable laws to engender good governance.

Mr Hamza Aliyu Executive Director Initiative for Grassroots Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA) made the call at the Bi-Monthly Meeting of the State-level Advocacy and Legislative Engagement Forum on Saturday in Lokoja.

The meeting was organized by the Situation Room in partnership with INGRA with support from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development of the UK International Development.

Aliyu who was represented by Mr Ikechukwu Mpama, the Project Officer, underscored the essence of Public Hearing in the passage of bills to enable them fall in line with the people’s aspirations.

He therefore, called on Kogi State House of Assembly to widen the level of participation of the citizenry by harnessing their opinions and inputs through Public Hearings.

Presentating “An Overview of Activities Carried Out So Far and the Achievements Recorded”, Aliyu said that the forum which was inaugurated on November 2, 2023, had achieved more than 90 per cent of its mandate.

The objectives of the Forum, according to him, includes the need to increase citizens’ participation in the passage of bills to reflect the aspirations of the people.

Others are: enhancing the functionality and increasing people’s awareness of Legislators’ Constituency Offices and organizing Public Hearings for the people.

Idris Miliki Abdul, Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflicts Resolution (CHRCH), a Human Rights activist, in his contribution, charged CSOs in the state to be ready to work hand-in-hand with in the state Assembly in organizing public Hearings.

He decried situations where bills are passed without necessary inputs from the people describing the development as not good enough for the State and urging that it should be discouraged.

Miliki underscored the essence of Public Hearing in the passage of bills saying, “We should continue to advocate for public hearing no matter the pressure from the Executive Arm.”

On the sustainability of the State-Level Advocacy and Legislative Engagement Forum, the Human Rights activist said “There is need for follow up because without follow up, sustainability will be impossible.”

Speaking in same vein, Mr Idris Ozovehe Muraina, Chairman of Kogi Non-Government Organizations Network (KONGONET) frowned at the unhealthy culture of passing Supplementary Budgets without inputs from the public.

He called for engagement of the Legislative House by the CSOs to ponder the possibility of having public hearing to enable the citizens have a say in the passage of Supplementary Budgets.

Muraina called on the CSOs to avail themselves of any window of opportunity for public engagement in Supplementary Budget.

Aminu Oseni Okutepa, Executive Director, Lugard Youths Development Initiative (LYDEI) said, “We should engage not only the legislators but the Executives to know when they want to present supplement Budgets to the House. This is Democracy and everybody must be engaged.”

In his opening remarks, Mr Ikechukwu Mpama, the Project Officer had said that the main objectives of the meeting was to discuss lessons learnt in the course of the project and as well, proffer key strategies for its sustainability even after the official close out. (Ends)

State Assembly

Sarkindaji pays JAMB fees, free CBT Training for 100 Candidates in Niger

Published

11 months ago

February 9, 2024

Super Administrator

***Grants Scholarships to 137 others

The Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly Rt Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji has paid the fees for this year’s Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination for 100 candidates from his Constituency in Mariga local government area of the state.
The 100 candidates are also to enjoy free training for Computer Base Text (CBT) to enable them get acquainted with the knowledge and the use of computer before the JAMB examinations.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media, Mallam Shamsudeen Lawal Bnaira who disclosed this in a statement in Minna on Friday, said 137 indigent students have benefited from the Speaker’s scholarship programme into various high institutions of learning.
Mallam Bnaira further added that all successful candidates in the JAMB examination will enjoy free sponsorship in their University education as part of the Speakers educational programme for youth in his Constituency.
“We are thrilled to announce that 100 enthusiastic students from Mariga Local Government have been successfully registered for the upcoming JAMB 2024 examination their journey towards further education has already begun”.
“All the 100 Candidates will enjoy free computer base training, those who excel in the JAMB examination will also enjoy free sponsorship in their University education as part of the Speaker’s deliberate educational programme for youth in his Constituency”.
According to him, this transformative initiative by the Speaker will not only encourage academic excellence in his Constituency but also highlight the importance of investing in the education of our youth.
He maintained that the computer training will provide the students with the opportunity to enhance their computer skills and pursue their academic aspirations, adding that “this will equally pave the way for a brighter future for them and the entire Mariga local government area.
Recall that the Speaker had earlier granted sponsorship to 100 indigents of his Constituency to pursue their National Certificate in Education (NCE) at the Federal College of Education Kontagora, Bangi and Mariga satellites campus.
In addition, 37 other students are to enjoy similar gesture towards acquiring their University education at the Ahmodu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Federal College of Education Kontagora study center.