Kaduna state governor signs budget of N157bn for 2019

– Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai signed a budget of N157.449bn into law for the 2019 fiscal year

– The governor also signed the 2019 budget size of N62.34bn for the 23 local government councils.

– El-Rufai had in August presented the budget to the state House of Assembly for scrutiny and passage

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state on Friday, December 21, signed into law the N157.449billion appropriation bill for the state and N62.34bn budgeted for the 23 local government council areas.

In a report by Daily Trust, El-Rufau said the new financial year for the Kaduna state government and the council areas will begin on the first day of January, 2019.

The capital component of the budget is N94.47bn, while recurrent expenditure is N62.97bn.

In August, El-Rufai had presented the budget tagged ‘Budget of Continuity,’ to the state House of Assembly for scrutiny and passage.

He said: “Reflecting our commitment to human capital development, the Social Sector, including Education and Health takes up N39.14bn or 41% of the N94bn capital budget.

Education has a capital budget of N25.4bn, while Health has N13.1bn, a concrete demonstration of our desire to promote equality of opportunity by putting people first.”

The governor, while commending the state House of Assembly for the collaborative partnership said a new tradition has now been established to pass and sign state budget in the preceding year.

Aminu Abdullahi Shagali, the Speaker Kaduna State House of Assembly, represented by Deputy Speaker, Nuhu Goro Shadalafiya, said the legislative arm of government will continue to work with others for the development of the state.

TRACKNEWS.NG previously reported that Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state, urged the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to enact a law that would grant states the jurisdiction to prosecute cases of fake news and hate speech.

The governor made the call during a visit by the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on the sidelines of the 47th meeting of the National Council on Information.