Gov Sule presents N199.9bn budget to Nasarawa Assembly
As House gets new Speaker, deputy
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has presented the 2024 budget proposal of N199.9billion to the House of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The acting Speaker of the State Assembly, Abel Yakubu Bala, while receiving the budget in Lafia on Friday, assured the governor and people of the state that lawmakers would give it an accelerated passage.
The governor said the document, tagged, “Budget of Renewed Commitment,” if passed into law, would complete the ongoing projects and existing ones, with more to be initiated for the overall development of the state.
“I am delighted to lay before you a total budget size of N199. 879bn for the 2024 fiscal year. Recurrent Expenditure - a total of N112, 925bn representing 56 per cent of the total budget is earmarked for recurrent expenditure.”
“Capital expenditure of N86. 954bn, representing 44 per cent of the total budget, is set aside for 2024.”
Responding, the acting Speaker of the House reassured that the 2024 appropriation bill would be given expeditious action to be passed into law before December 31, 2023.”
In another development, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly on Friday elected Mr Danladi Jatau, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker as its new Speaker.
The lawmakers also unanimously elected Mr Mohammed Oyanki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Doma North as Deputy Speaker.
The motion to elect Jatau representing Kokona West was moved by Mr Suleiman Azara (APC, Awe South) constituency.
In the absence of any contrary motion, the acting Clerk of the House, Ibrahim Musa, went ahead to declare Jatau the substantive Speaker.
In a similar vein, Mr Solomon
Akwashiki nominated Oyanki for the position of the Deputy Speaker, a motion that was seconded by Mrs Hajara Danyaro Ibrahim (APC, Nassarawa Central).
The two lawmakers were thereafter sworn in by the acting Clerk of the House, Mr Musa at exactly 1:52pm and 1:54pm respectively.
Speaking immediately after he took the oath of office, Speaker Jatau expressed appreciation to his colleagues for finding him worthy to pilot the affairs of the House.