EMMANUEL AWARI, Jalingo
The Taraba State House of Assembly has passed the sum of over Four Hundred and Thirty-one point three billion naira(N431.3 billion) for the Services of the State for the 2025 fiscal year.
This followed the submission of the report of the House Committee on Finance, Budget and Appropriation.
The Report of the Committee on Finance Budget and Appropriation was laid and presented before the House by its Chairman Abdulazeez Titong, who noted that the approved budget size was the initial estimate of N429,898,968,492.31 submitted to the House by Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas.
He explained that the budget was jacked up by 1.5 Billion naira to cover estimated recurrent and capital expenditures.
The committee observed that the 2025 budget estimate is higher than the approved 2024 budget with 37%, adding that the Internally Generated Revenue by most of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies is generally low.
Some of the observations noticed by the Lawmakers during the interphase with Sub – Committees and the main committee include, a high rate of under-employment in the State, which makes the youths to engage in unwholesome activity, Government Companies not captured in the budget, that the Internally Generated Revenue IGR by most Ministries, Departments and Agencies is low and that most Ministries Departments and Agencies have not been implementing the yearly budget approved by the House leading to continues reputation of projects over and over again.
It could be recalled that the total sum of Four Hundred and Twenty Nine Billion, Eight Hundred and Ninety Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Two Naira, Thirty One Kobo (N429,898,968,402.31) only was presented by Governor Kefas at the floor of the House.
Briefing Journalists shortly, Chairman, of the House of Assembly Committee on Information Hon. Nelson Len, said the lawmakers decided to increase the budget with an additional N1.5 billion naira owing to the creation of a new Ministry of Tertiary Education by Governor Kefas after the presentation of 2025 budget to the House.
“The N1.5bn came about as a result of the newly created Ministry of Tertiary Education by Governor Agbu Kefas and our major concern is how we can jack up the IGR in the fiscal year of 2025 and to see how the implementation of this budget will be feasible – he said.
“The government is determined to ensure adequate servicing of the budget, to enable all the sectors to perform above 70 percent in 2025”, he added.
According to him, the N1.5 billion was incorporated to carter for the gap that was noticed in the draft 2025 estimates submitted earlier to the House by the Executive Arm of the state.
“The house-made recommendations that the budget sized have increased from N429,898,968,402.31 to N431,398,968,402.31 by N1,500,000,000.00 to accommodate some government projects.
“That Revenue generating outlets should be overhauled to ensure that all linkages by IGR Officers be blocked for all revenue collected are paid into accounts of the government. The government should embark on massive employment to reduce the rate of unemployment and also train staff to improve capacity building in the civil services.
“We commend the Administration of Governor Agbu Kefas for his deliberate steps to reposition Taraba State for greater socio – economic impact and foresight.
With N1.5 Billion to the 2025 appropriation bill of N429,898,968,402.31 presented before the lawmakers by Governor Kefas, the budget is now the sum of Four Hundred and Thirty One Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Two Naira, Thirty One Kobo (N431,398,968,402.31)the approved budget size was the initial estimate of N429,898,968,492.31 submitted to the House by the Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas.
He explained that the budget was jacked up by 1.5 Billion naira to cover for under estimated recurrent and capital expenditures.
The committee observed that, the 2025 budget estimate is higher than the approved 2024 budget with 37%, adding that the Internally Generated Revenue by most of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies is generally low.
Some of the observations noticed by the Lawmakers during the interphase with Sub – Committees and the main committee include, a high rate of under-employment in the State, which makes the youths engage in unwholesome activity, Government Companies not captured in the budget, that the Internally Generated Revenue IGR by most Ministries, Departments and Agencies is low and that most Ministries Departments and Agencies have not been implementing the yearly budget approved by the House leading to continued repetition of projects over and over again.
It could be recalled that the total sum of Four Hundred and Twenty-Nine Billion, Eight Hundred and Ninety Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Two Naira, Thirty One Kobo (N429,898,968,402.31) only was presented by Governor Kefas at the floor of the House.
Briefing Journalists shortly, Chairman, the House of Assembly Committee on Information Hon. Nelson Len, said the lawmakers decided to increase the budget with an additional N1.5 billion naira owing to the creation of a new Ministry of Tertiary Education by Governor Kefas after the presentation of 2025 budget to the House.
“The N1.5bn came about as a result of the newly created Ministry of Tertiary Education by Governor Agbu Kefas and our major concern is how we can jack up the IGR in the fiscal year of 2025 and to see how the implementation of this budget will be feasible – he said.
“The government is determined to ensure adequate servicing of the budget, to enable all the sectors to perform above 70 percent in 2025”, he added.
According to him, the N1.5 billion was incorporated to carter for the gap that was noticed in the draft 2025 estimates submitted earlier to the House by the Executive Arm of the state.
“The house made recommendations that the budget size has been increased from N429,898,968,402.31 to N431,398,968,402.31 by N1,500,000,000.00 to accommodate some government projects.
“That Revenue generating outlets should be over hauled to ensure that all leakages by IGR Officers be blocked for all revenue collected to be paid into accounts of government. That government should embark on massive employment to reduce the rate of unemployment and also train staff to improve capacity building in the civil services.
“We commend the Administration of Governor Agbu Kefas for his deliberate steps to reposition Taraba State for greater socio – economic impact and foresight.
With N1.5 Billion to the 2025 appropriation bill of N429,898,968,402.31 presented before the lawmakers by Governor Kefas, the budget is now the sum of Four Hundred and Thirty-One Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Two Naira, Thirty One Kobo (N431,398,968,402.31).
For a better society
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