Gombe State House of Assembly Passes 2024 Budget Estimate
The Gombe State House of Assembly has officially approved the 2024 Budget Estimate for Gombe State, amounting to Two Hundred and Eight Billion, Sixty-Four Million Naira (N208,064,000,000.00). This represents an increase of Three Hundred Million Naira (N300,000,000.00) from the initial proposal submitted by Governor Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, which was Two Hundred and Seven Billion, Seven Hundred and Fifty Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N207,750,200,000.00).
The approval came after a meticulous review and scrutiny of the budget estimate by the House Committee on Appropriation. Alhaji Aliyu Baba Manu, the committee’s chairman, noted that many budget officers in the MDAs were not well-versed in the budget provisions guided by the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). He recommended that the budget office should transmit the Executive Council’s approved budget to ministries. The total budget size was subsequently approved at Two Hundred and Eight Billion, Sixty-Four Million Naira (N208,064,000,000.00).
The 2024 budget, dubbed “Budget of Continuity and Consolidation,” primarily focuses on completing ongoing projects initiated in the first tenure of the present administration. Notably, 43% of the budget is allocated to the economic sector, while 11% is designated for the social sector.
Following a detailed clause-by-clause consideration by the speaker, Abubakar Mohammed Luggerewo, during the committee of the whole and contributions by honourable members, the bill passed its third reading and became law. The speaker expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their support and cooperation throughout the process.
In another development, the House passed a resolution to issue a reminder letter to the members of the National Assembly representing Gombe North. The letter aims to prompt federal intervention in the dilapidated condition of the Gombe Funakaye-Nafada federal road, a project previously awarded but lacking funding. Mustapha Usman Hassan, chairman of the House Committee on Works and Transportation, presented the committee’s report, indicating that the road project was included in the 2024 federal budget. The federal lawmakers representing Gombe North are urged to advocate for its swift implementation in both the red and green chambers.