SPEECH BY HIS
EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF NASARAWA STATE ALHAJI ABDULLAHI ADAMU {SARKIN
YAKIN KEFFI} ON THE OCCASION OF THE SIGNING INTO LAW OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY
APPROPRIATION BILL WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2000
It
will be recalled that on the 20th January 2000, I signed into law the
State Appropriation Bill for the issue and appropriation of the State
Consolidated Revenue Fund of four Billion, Four Hundred and twenty-three
million, two hundred and eighty-one thousand Naira [N4,423,281.000.00], made up
of one Billion, Nine hundred and ninety four million, one hundred and fifty-one
thousand Naira [N1,994,151,000.00] as recurrent expenditure and two billion,
four hundred and twenty-nine million, one hundred and thirty thousand Naira
[N2,429,130,000.00] as capital expenditure for the current year.
On
the 6th September 2000,
having envisaged additional expenditure for both our current and capital
expenditures and bearing in mind the determination of this administration to
tenaciously pursue its policies and programmes aimed at total transformation of
the young state and this part of the country that has lagged behind in
development for long a time, I presented before the Hon. House a supplementary
budget of N2.540 billion ; for the period of July to December 2000, that will
supplement both our recurrent and capital expenditure for the year under review
accompanied by a Supplementary
Appropriation Bill to authorize the expenditures there from.
It
is worthy to note with gratification that the Hon. House after assiduous and
exhaustive debates and deliberation approved a supplementary budget of two
billion, seven hundred and sixty three million Naira [N2,763,000,000.00] and
accordingly passed the Appropriation Bill authorizing the said additional
recurrent and capital expenditure for the period commencing from 1st
July 2000 ending 31st December 2000.
However,
the supplementary budget approved by the Honourable House is N.223 billion more
than the original estimate presented. The
Hon House in its wisdom has charged additional capital expenditure of N.023
billion for Nasarawa State Broadcasting Service where no provision was
originally made in our supplementary budget estimate and N.200 billion as
additional current expenditure for the State House of Assembly which is intended
to take care of the current wage bill provided for by the Revenue Mobilization
Allocation and Fiscal commissions approved by the Hon. House.
Mr. Speaker, distinguished Ladies and gentlemen, with
the approval of the supplementary budget of N2.763 billion by the Hon. House to
supplement both our recurrent and capital expenditure, our total budget for the
year 2000 has increased from N4.423 billion to N7.186 billion made up of N2.958
billion as recurrent expenditure and N4.228 billion as capital expenditure for
the year under review.
Permit
me at this juncture, distinguished ladies and gentlemen to express my profound
appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Speaker, the House Committee on appropriation,
Principal Officers and indeed all the Hon. Members of Nasarawa State House of
Assembly for their determination, patriotism, dedication and selfless sacrifice
in their legislative functions, which in no small measure has contributed to the
sustenance and upliftment of our young democracy in the state.
The quality of legislation in the House of Assembly and
the harmonious and cordial partnership
which has flourished between the legislature and the executive arms of
government in the state makes it easy for one to come to the irresistible
conclusion that the Hon. House
is exhibiting high sense of reason and responsive to the socio-economy
and political needs of our people.
Let
me reiterate here that we from the executive arm cherish this cordial
relationship. It is a common
knowledge that in the states where the executive and the legislature arms are
preoccupied with friction and primordial controversies, objectivity is lost and
development relegated to the background. I am happy that we in Nasarawa State
today can proudly beat our chests for the successes recorded so far in the
development of our state since inception of this administration.
We must therefore not relent in our efforts to ensure that our people
derive full benefit of democracy.
Distinguished
ladies and gentlemen, on the 6th September 2000 when I presented this
Supplementary Bill which I have signed into law today, I made
it abundantly clear, that this administration is absolutely resolute in
delivering services to our people.
I am sure it is now axiomatic that remarkable impact has been made in
areas such as opening of rural areas with network of roads, provision of rural
water supply scheme, rural electrification of rural areas, expansion of the
health care delivery system, as
well as tremendous boost to the educational and
agricultural sectors.
Let
me restate here once again that the supplementary budget, which I have today
signed into law, will be used for the purposes of;
i.
Sustaining
and prosecuting our social, economic and industrial programmes contained in our
budget of rebirth.
ii.
Meeting
our collective aspiration in uplifting our people in the areas of rural
development projects
iii.
Comprehensively
addressing our poverty alleviation programme by embarking on projects aimed at
creation of job opportunities and boosting our agricultural produce .
iv.
Help
to lay a solid foundation for the industrial development of our state.
In
this way we have no doubt that our people will derive value and full services
and benefits of our budget in consonance with the main objectives of this
administration. However, it will be
recalled also that in my supplementary budget address I express fear of the fact
that our financial burden will further increase when the Revenue Mobilization
Allocation and fiscal commission determines the salaries and wages of public
officers and political office holders. The
report of the commission on the subject matter has been received and there is no
doubt that our first monthly charge will rise astronomically.
I am to say here that government has already taken appropriate steps to
study the report with a view to determining the financial implication of
implementing the new package.
Let
me use this opportunity once again to remind ourselves that for all of us who
are elected, ours is a position of trust, which we have all taken oath to
protect, for the benefit of the people of Nasarawa State who collectively
elected us. We must therefore
continue to work as one indivisible team. Indeed
we have both moral and constitutional obligations not to sacrifice or compromise
the peace and unity of our people on the altar of flimsy political differences,
religious bigotry and tribal chauvinism.
We must therefore live exemplary lives and shun any thing diversionary.
We must appreciate and learn how to accommodate and tolerate one another
as brothers and sisters.
We
have set the pace for good governance and our people have already started
deriving the benefit of democracy. I
therefore implore all of us to sustain the momentum and rededicate ourselves to
the ideals of selfless service to our dear good people of Nasarawa State.
Thank you for listening.
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