• Saturday, April 20, 2024
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BusinessDay

Covid -19 force Jigawa Assembly to review state 2020 budget downward

Mohammed Badaru Abubakar – Jigawa State

As a matter of concern in the face of the low income coming to the state as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jigawa State House of Assembly Thursday approved the review of the 2020 appropriation law from 152 billion nairas to 124 billion nairas for the state government and 56 billion nairas for the twenty-seven local government area councils.
House Majority Leader, Habu Muhammad Maigatari, said the review of the law was to allow the state government to contain the current economic challenges caused by the Corona Virus crisis.
The Majority leader of the House Habu Muhammad representing Maigatari constituency, who moved a motion for the formation of the Committee of the whole House to deliberate on the bill, commended members of the House for their various contributions and support to the bill.
During the committee of the whole House, the member representing Ringim constituency, Alhaji Aminu Sule Sankara stressed the need to support the downward review of the 2020 appropriation law to allow the government to take a realistic economic course in the implementation of public services.
Similarly, the member representing Garki constituency, Lawan Garba pointed out that the reasons behind the budget review were genuine and expressed the confidence that Jigawa citizens would feel the positive impact of the measures taken by the government in the next six months.
Also speaking, member representing Hadejia constituency, Abubakar Sadiq Jallo noted that the budget downward review affected road projects in favour of agriculture and other essential services.
On his part, member representing Taura constituency, Dayyabu Shehu prayed for the government to have the political will to provide public services within its economic capacity in the next six months of the year.
The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Idris Garba Jahun who announced the approval of the budget review after a unanimous vote, pointed out that the review of the budget downward did not in any way affect constituency projects, agriculture and other essential services.
Meanwhile, the Speaker Jigawa state House of Assembly Idris Garba Jahun has announced the lifting of the suspension of a Member representing Gumel constituency, Sani Isyaku Abubakar.
The Speaker also announced the removal of the chairmen of four House Standing Committees, while the chairmanship of Justice and Judiciary as well as that of Finance committees were swapped.
The House of Assembly then adjourned sitting indefinitely