ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF SOKOTO STATE RT. HON. AMINU WAZIRI TAMBAWAL CFR (MUTAWALLEN SOKOTO) ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR 2021 BUDGET TO THE SOKOTO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THURSDAY 10th DECEMBER 2020.
Protocol
Fellow Citizens of Sokoto State, It is with gratitude to Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala that I address you today at the Budget Presentation to the Sokoto State House of Assembly for the 2021 Fiscal Year.
We are indeed grateful to Allah for sparing our lives to witness yet another milestone of achieving remarkable successes in our quest to ensure transparency and good governance for effective service delivery.
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members, it is a great honor and privilege to present the 2021 Budget proposal for the consideration and subsequent approval of this honorable house for the betterment of the entire citizens of Sokoto State. Indeed 2020 has been a challenging year not only for Sokoto State and Nigeria but for the world as a whole, owing to Covid-19 pandemic.
For us the year 2020 has also been characterized by the challenge of insecurity, occasioned by banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and armed robbery that have adversely affected the economic activities of the entire Northwest, including Sokoto State.
It is gratifying to note that, despite the gloomy picture, we have managed the situation as a government and people, while responding to the advent of Covid 19 pandemic, which has ravaged the health and economic activities of our teeming populace by laying emphasis on containing its spread in our society.
Sokoto State is one of the few states in the country that has fully adopted the principle of realistic and all inclusive budget, where citizens observations and inputs are harnessed during stakeholders town hall meetings. This is borne out of our desire to carry the people along in the decision as to how their resources are expended.
In the coming 2021 fiscal year, government will lay emphasis on legacy projects, dry season farming, irrigation and reconstruction of flood-ravaged infrastructure, in order to safeguard and solidify our achievements.
Provision of welfare packages to our people especially is this difficult period will remain our major concern, while effective healthcare services and quality education creation of employment opportunities and improved infrasture will continue to be accorded high premium.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2020 BUDGET
Mr. Speaker, Honorable members, fellow citizens of our State, the 2020 Budget was the product of the will and aspirations of the people of our State, through a meticulous and inclusive process of the public forums to ensure a truly people’s budget.
The total Budget size for 2020 as passed by this Honorable House was N 202,444,458.02 consisting of capital and recurrent Expenditure.
It is pertinent to note that, the security and health challenges of 2019 still persisted in 2020, with the additional problem of floods that adversely affected all parts of our State. We have however, managed these difficulties and by the grace of Allah (SWT) we have emerged more resolute and stronger.
YEAR 2021 BUDGET OUTLAY
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in consonance with the existing budgetary standing and prevailing fiscal projection the Budget for 2021 stands at ₦176,685,535,633.47
REVENUE BREAKDOWN
1. OPENING BALANCE ₦ 11,340,879,478.80
2. STATUTORY ALLOCATION ₦48,773,903,980.42
3. VAT ₦17,052,170,179.01
4. NDEPENDENT REVENUE ₦30,012,222,271.24
5. AIDS AND GRANTS ₦10,345,759,754.00
6. DIRECTS RECIEPTS ₦10,345,000,000.00
7. DIRECT CAPITAL RECIEPTS ₦750,000,000.00
8. COMMERCIAL BANKS LOANS AND BONDS ₦32,500,000,000.00
9. EXTERNAL LOANS AND OTHER BORROWINGS ₦15,475,600,000.00
TOTAL ₦176,685,535,663.47
EXPENDITURE DISTRIBUTION
1. Personnel Cost – ₦36,199,656,390.09
2. Overhead Cost – ₦30,032,230,567.20
3. Pension and Gratuities Public Debt Charges ₦4,200,000,000.00
4. Interest Payment on Debt ₦9,126,517,733.05
5. Internal Debt Services (IDS) ₦1,600,000,000.00
6. Capital Projects- ₦95,527,130,973.13
TOTAL ₦176,685,535,633.47
The sectorial allocation for the Year 2021 shows that Education has the highest vote of N38,784,571,035.78, which is 21.9%, followed by Health, with N17,905,299,159.00 constituting 17.1% and Agriculture, N20,770,716,027.29, representing 11.8%.
Capital Expenditure is 54% while Recurrent Spending is 46% of the Budget Total. The budget will focus on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged/destroyed by this year’s flood disaster, while maintaining priority on the completion of ongoing infrastructural projects and the initiation of new ones across the state.
Thus, the year 2021 Budget is titled “BUDGET OF CONSOLIDATION AND SOCIOECONOMIC EMANCIPATION”
I wish therefore, to request the usual collaboration of this Honorable House towards the realization of our transformation drive, through the execution of people oriented projects, some of which are as follows:
1. Construction of a third flyover at Gidan Man Ada in Sokoto Metropolis and completion of ongoing urban renewal roads, drainages and two flyover bridges at ₦2,692,005,315.74
2.Rehabilitation/ reconstruction of infrastructure damaged/destroyed by flood:
a. Shagari-Tureta Road with N1,000,000,000.00 allocated out of a total cost of N1,960,921,736.76
b. Kebbe Bridge with ₦354,166,666.67 allocated from a total cost of N1,43,041,223.63
c. Romon Sarki Bridge for which ₦210,833,333.33 is budgeted out of the total cost of N1,308,275,089.13
d. Birjingo Bridge for which N58,333,333.33 is allocated out of the total cost of N76,186,392.19
e. Silame-Gande Road with N415,150,166.67 budgeted from a total cost of N1,176,051,316.97
3. Commencement of Dualization of Shuni to Welcome to Sokoto Gate Road at N250,000,000.00.
4. Isa-Bafarawa Road with cost of N1,318,576,680.38
5.Construction of Southern Bye Pass Road: Almajiri School to Silame Junction, opening up new Sokoto city area at N310,000,000.00
5.Commencement of irrigation schemes at Wurno, Kware, Tungar Tudu, Kalmalo, Taloka, Kwakwazo and Muza for which ₦200,000,000.00 is allocated.
6.Rehabilitation of Shari’ah Court of Appeal and other courts at ₦150,000,000.00
7.Construction of an ICT Center N1,050,000,000.00
8. Establishment of Awqaf farms of dates, mango, cashew and moringa in selected LGAs and educational institutions.
9. Commencement of the Construction of 342 Housing Estate in Sokoto New City at ₦1,000,000,000.00
10. Rabah Animal Breeding Project at N2,430,380,000.00
11 Construction of Premier Hospitals at Binji, Tambuwal and Sabon Birni at
N1,581,000,000
CONCLUSION
At this juncture I will like to express the appreciation of the government and people of Sokoto state to the security agencies in the State for their efforts at curbing the rate of crime in the state.
I wish to also commend the state task force committee on Covid-19 for their diligence and commitment in containing the spread and treatment of those afflicted by the pandemic.
Special appreciation goes to His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, traditional and religious leaders for their fatherly and spiritual guidance and support for government policies, activities and programmes.
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members, ladies and gentlemen, we have every cause to be grateful for attaining these successes in this trying period for our nation and the world. This miracle I however, ascribe to our unity of purpose and shared commitment to the service of our people.
Our state is certainly a model of all that is positive about democracy, thanks to the unreserved cooperation of the patriotic members of this Honorable House. You have remained resolute above partisanship in your quest for the advancement of the people.
I wish to formally lay before this Honorable House, the Year 2021 State Appropriation Bill, hoping this Honorable House will accord it special attention for our collective benefit.
May Allah (SWT) endow you with the wisdom and zeal to attend to and consider this proposed 2021 Budget in the interest of the socioeconomic development of Sokoto State.
Thank you, wassalamu alaikum.