By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The Kogi State House of Assembly has passed the 2023 appropriation bill of N172,090,789,292.
Our Correspondent report passage followed a report presented by the Chairman House Committee on Finance, Appropriation, Budget, Monitoring and Economic Planning Aderonke Aro on Friday in Lokoja, Kogi State capital.
Accordung to him, out of budget of N172.19 billion presented to the Assembly, N101.34billion was earmarked for recurrent expenditure while N70.74billion was appropriated for capital expenditure.
The lawmaker said that the bill passed through due diligence, noting that every standing committee of the House was duly engaged for budgetary defence by Ministries, Departments, Agencies and parastatals.
”However, during the course of the defence, the committee varied the budget provisions from one code to another in line with the economic reality.
“My esteemed Colleagues, the Committee on Finance Appropriation, Budget Monitoring and Economic Planning, hereby recommend to this august House, a ‘‘Balance Budget’’ of N172,090,787,290”, he added.
Addressing the lawmakers, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Prince Matthew Kolawole, commended members of the committee and other members for their patriotism and commitment to the growth and development of the state.
He noted that their contributions to the prompt passage of the was exemplary, assuring that the report was considered clause by clause before its passage.
The tenure of the current crop of lawmakers is billed to expire in June, 2023, hence, the 2023 budget consideration could be their last.
Core News reported in November, 2022 that Governor Yahaya Bello presented a draft budget of N172,090,787,000 to the House of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The proposal tagged ‘‘Budget of Transformation’’, is higher by N4,788,825,095 (2.86 per cent) by the previous year.
The budget is now awaiting the signing of the budget to law by the Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
