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Tag: Assembly

  • Mimiko suspends budget presentation over crisis rocking Assembly

    Mimiko suspends budget presentation over crisis rocking Assembly

     

    Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State on Wednesday suspended the presentation of the 2017 budget over the leadership crisis currently rocking the state House of Assembly.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that two factions of the lawmakers led by Hon. Malachi Coker and Hon. Jumoke Akindele are laying claim to the speakership seat.

    Coker’s camp removed Akindele, his deputy Fatai Olotu and the Majority leader, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu over alleged N15million scam.

    ‎Last Monday, security operatives sealed the Assembly to prevent a fracas among the lawmakers.

    It was reopened on Wednesday when Mimiko announced that he would be presenting the last budget of his administration at the Assembly.

    Coker’s camp numbering 13 arrived the Assembly as early as 7.30 a.m, took over the hallow chamber and began their plenary session around 8.a.m.

    They were waiting patiently for the governor to arrive the Assembly and present ‎the budget.

    No lawmaker loyal to Akindele and Mimiko were at the chamber.

    As at the time the sitting was ongoing, ‎there was confusion at the main entrance to the Assembly when armed policemen and other security operatives numbering 500 shot tear gas to disperse the crowd protesting against the re-opening of the Assembly for the presentation of the 2017 budget presentation by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

    The security men had mounted surveillance all over the premises of the of Assembly.

    The leader of the protesters, who are mainly youths, Hon. Saka Yusuf Ogunleye, alleged that Mimiko was scheming to earn life pension from the resources of the state with his move to pass 38 bills at the end of his administration.

    Ogunleye said the Governor should leave the state peacefully and not leave burden on the incoming administration with his 2017 budget.

    While the legislators were in session, the Commissioner of Police, Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison came and ordered reporters covering the sitting to vacate the chamber.

    Although, no reason was given for the development, sources said it was to persuade the lawmakers to suspend their sitting and allow the presentation of the budget by Governor Mimiko.

    At the sitting, the lawmakers reaffirmed the suspension of Akindele, her Deputy and the Majority leader.

    The Coker’s camp later ajourned the sitting till 12pm when they were informed that the governor would arrive the Assembly by noon.

    The lawmakers, who vowed not to leave the hallow chamber, were seen eating their launch in the chamber around 2.30pm.

    They later re-conveyed around 3pm and adjourned till Thursday (today) after they were informed the governor was no longer coming.

     

  • Akwa Ibom Assembly reinstates 11 lecturers sacked in 2013

    The Akwa Ibom House of Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution, authorising the reinstatement of 11 lecturers wrongfully disengaged by the College of Education, Afaha Nsit in 2013.

    The motion was moved by the House Leader, Mr Udo Akpan and seconded by the Chief Whip, Mr Emmanuel Ekpenyong.

    The House had earlier referred the petitions from the affected lecturers to the House Committee on Education.

    The committee recommended that the House should order for immediate reinstatement of the affected lecturers back to their different departments.

    The committee also requested the House to direct relevant authority that handled the biometric in the college to correct the error and reconfigure the names of the affected lecturers as academic staff and not as non-academic staff.

    The committee also directed that the affected lecturers be promoted as and when due, and their entitlements paid accordingly.

    All the recommendations were adopted and a resolution passed accordingly.

    The Speaker, Mr Onofiok Luke, directed the Clerk, Mrs Mandu Umoren, to communicate the House resolution to relevant authority for action.

    The House also at plenary received a message from Gov. Udom Emmanuel, seeking the approval of the House to allow the state government spend N14.5 billion Paris Club loan refunded to the state by the Federal Government.

    Emmanuel in his letter said that the money would be used to settle outstanding pensions and gratuity and other contractual agreement.

    The House referred the letter to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for further legislative action.

    At plenary the Maritime Sector Bill sponsored by Mr Usoro Akpanusoh, passed through second reading.

    The bill was opposed by Mr Mark Esset (PDP- Nsit Atai) on the ground that state house of assembly has no legislative power on maritime issues.

  • Al-Makura presents N67bn budget to Assembly for approval

    Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Thursday presented Appropriation Bill of N67.013 billion for 2017 to the state House of Assembly for consideration and passage.

    Al-Makura while presenting the bill christened “Budget of Reformation’’ at the floor of the state assembly in Lafia, said the budget was in compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS).

    According to Al-Makura, N37.012 billion, representing 55.2 per cent of the budget is for recurrent expenditure while N30 billion, representing 44.7 per cent is earmarked as capital expenditure for 2017 fiscal year.

    He said that the budget framework indicated a decrease of N13.9 billion against the 2016 budget of N80.9 billion due to the current economic recession.

    The governor said that the State Government decided to streamline the 2017 estimates along more realistic, pragmatic and achievable targets.

    “This is due to the fluctuating Statutory Revenue Allocation (SRA) from the Federation Account and poor Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) occasioned by the economic recession.’’

    He explained that the budget would focus on completion of projects aimed at boosting welfare of citizens and stimulate the economy out of recession.

    Al-Makura said that the budget would also be geared towards encouraging youths in agricultural production as a way of empowerment, boosting production, developing value chain and strengthening commercial venture for stable economy.

    He urged stakeholders to live up to their responsibilities in order to move the country out recession.

    “The onus of moving out of this recession lies with all of us. The task ahead is no doubt Herculean and challenging but with collective determination, we would weather the storm’’, Al-Makura said.

    The Speaker of state assembly, Mr Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, commended the state government on the performance of the 2016 budget.

    He said the assembly pegged it at 70 per cent through their oversight functions, in spite of the economic recession.

    He assured the people of the state that the assembly will live up to their expectation by studying the appropriation bill meticulously and pass it expeditiously.

  • Plateau presents N6b supplementary budget for Assembly’s approval

    Plateau presents N6b supplementary budget for Assembly’s approval

    The Plateau Executive Council has approved a supplementary budget of N6.74 billion to be presented to the state House of Assembly for approval.

    Malam Muhammad Nazif, Commissioner for Information and Communication, said this on Tuesday while briefing newsmen after the executive council meeting in Jos.

    Nazif said the supplementary budget was to finance some ongoing projects and programmes in some ministries, departments and agencies.

    “Today’s meeting discussed one addendum, a supplementary budget meant for the ministries of agriculture, works and commerce, as well as pensions and the water board.

    “They have exhausted their budget for the year and they need funds to complete ongoing projects, as well as other programmes,” Nazif said.

    The commissioner stated that the budget would be presented to the State Assembly to undergo legislative ratification and approval.

    He, however, added that the state’s 2017 budget would be presented to the assembly before the end of the month.

    Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr Pam Dongs, during the briefing said that the state government would include the construction of pedestrian bridges on expressways in next year’s budget.

    Dongs said the bridges became necessary because of the dualisation of roads in the Jos metropolis, making it difficult for pedestrian to cross.

    The commissioner also said that speed breakers (bumps) would be built on the Secretariat Junction flyover, to reduce speed that had caused many accidents.

  • Kaduna Assembly approve N214,921 bn budget for 2017

    Kaduna Assembly approve N214,921 bn budget for 2017

    The Kaduna State House of Assembly has approved N214,921 billion for the State’s 2017 budget.
    This is made up of Recurrent expenditure of N83.46bn and capital spending of N131.45 bn.

    The budget ratio is 61:39 in favour of capital expenditure.The state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, presented the draft budget of Jobs, Social Justice and Equity to the House of Assembly on 12th October 2016.

    Commending the lawmakers for their efforts in scrutinizing the draft budget, the governor noted that the lawmakers approved a budget that is N1bn lower than the draft estimates.

    The governor praised the diligence brought in working out the budget, saying, “We are proud of the Kaduna State House of Assembly for not padding or inflating the budget.”

    The draft budget size was N215bn, set at expansionary levels to help drive recovery amidst recession. Its capital to recurrent ratio was 60:40.Education, Infrastructure and Health got the biggest budgetary allocations.

    Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, commissioner for Budget and Planning, gave a little breakdown of the sectoral allocations thus: Education (N44.84bn), Health (N10.49bn), Water (N8.6bn), Infrastructure (N24.50bn) and Agriculture (N4.6bn).

    The 2017 budget is designed to deliver the following outcomes; Completion of the Zaria Water Project, Unprecedented Rebuilding and Equipping of Schools, a massive programme to rehabilitate, maintain or rebuild Township Roads and the Creation of a green economic zone – an Agro-Industrial Park along Abuja Road.

    Others in the budget include the provision of infrastructure in mining sites and rural areas, conversion of Doka Hospital on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway into a Trauma Centre, expansion of the post-harvest price support for farmers and Anchor Borrowers Programme for six crops of comparative advantage.

    The rest are Kick-off the Kaduna Light Rail Phase to link Rigachikun with the Refinery and Implementation of an Emergency Nutrition Intervention Programme to reduce malnutrition and hunger amongst the poorest citizens and children.

    Speaking at the presentation of the draft estimates, Malam El-Rufai explained why Kaduna State chose an enlarged budget, saying, “We are convinced that the pursuit of economic recovery must now be a national focus.

    “Even with the limited influence any of the 36 states can alone exert on our national economic fortune, we can encourage some buoyancy in each of our states and collectively support the effort of the Federal Government to secure economic recovery.

    “Moments of recession have an outsized adverse effect on the most vulnerable and we must not let it persist.

    “Therefore, we reinforce our commitment to social justice by retaining high levels of spending on our social programmes. Social justice obliges us to sustain investments in Education, Health, Infrastructure and Social Development.

    ”Based on the lessons learnt from the 2016 Budget, the government is strengthening implementation and monitoring mechanisms, including the establishment of a Result Delivery Unit.”