AMAC chairman signs 2019 ‘budget of hope’

The chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdullahi Adamu Candido, has signed the council’s 2019 budget into law.

Candido, who assented to the document on Monday, said with the budget, the residents would be given more facilities/services to better their lives, fresh ideas and innovations.

Candido assented to the appropriation bill of N8,416,186,995, about three months after it was submitted to members of the legislative council.

The council chairman, who won his re-election bid at the weekend, commended the councillors for passing the bill. He said with the passage, they have set the pace for the effective execution of projects, noting that the budget is to be protected, secured and defended by resources available to the council.

“We cannot make any good of this budget except we have abundant resources around. That’s why in the last three months or so, we have been trying to reinvigorate our revenue division.

“It’s the responsibility of this administration to ensure that revenue sources are encouraged. If any payment has to be done, and there is no budgetary provision, it must be put on hold until such provision is made,” Candido said, adding that the council’s money must be accounted for.

The council’s Head of Administration, Alhaji Ahmed Yahaya Khana, said the budget will be duly implemented to ensure good governance and better life for the residents.

“In the last couple of months, our implementation with regards to the 25 per cent allowed to be expended within the threshold was very low. This is because you cannot expend on capital if the budget is not assented to, so you only expend on recurrent,” he said.

The signing was witnessed by the Speaker of AMAC legislative council, Daniel Shanyibwa, lawmakers and divisional heads in the council.