Kaduna Govt presents Q1 budget performance to legislature, explains Budget Adjustment Mechanism

For the first time in the history of the state, the Kaduna State Government has presented the first quarter budget performance report to the House of Assembly. 

Finance Commissioner Suleiman Abdu Kwari told the legislators that the presentation of the budget performance report “is in furtherance of the quest of the El-Rufai government to ensure accountability and transparency in governance”.

Reviewing the budget performance, Kwari recalled that the 2016 Budget is based on 60:40 expenditure profile for Capital and Recurrent. Key priorities for the budget are: Infrastructure, Healthcare, Security, Jobs and Agriculture with Education Sector being given the utmost priority. 

While the revenue dip has been a bit of a dampener, procurement processes for capital projects have dominated the first quarter as the government remains determined to fulfill its manifesto commitments. Capital spending in the first quarter amounts to an unprecedented N7bn, with N4.9bn going to the Education sector for school renovation, furniture, and uniforms, and almost a billion naira as payments for the Zaria Water Project.

CCT: Senators Should Stop Attending Saraki’s Trial

The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar has criticized senators who have been attending the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Umar further said that the Senate is not on trial before the tribunal hence there’s no need for the legislators to appear with Saraki every day.

The CCT Chairman made the comment on Monday, April 18, 2016, when the Senate President’s trial resumed.

“The Senate is not on trial. The senators should sit down and do their work. They don’t need to be here. It is shameful and disgrace to the nation,” Umar said.

The following are among the Senators who attended the proceedings at the CCT with the Senate President on Monday; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Kabir Gaya, Shabah Lafiaji, Samuel Anyanwu, Stella Oduah, Danjuma Goje, Dino Melaye, Ali Ndume and Tayo Alasoadura.

National Conference Okays Removal Of Governors, Lawmakers’ Pension

If the report of the national conference committee on public service is accepted by government, governors, deputy governors and legislators won’t be entitled to pension, life insurance and severance pay. The removal of the entitlements was a key part of the report that was considered and adopted by delegates at Wednesday’s plenary.

The delegates also adopted the recommendation to have federal and state legislators function on a part-time basis. At the plenary that began on a calm note, delegates considered a change to the procedure of debating committee reports to make its adoption faster, in order to meet up with the left time.

STATE OF EMERGENCY: THE THIRD RENEWAL BY GUMI

The prophet -peace be upon him- said: “a true believer is never stung from the same hole twice”. The Caliph Muawiya said: “there is no wisdom without experience”.

Today, we all know that any medical Doctor that will prescribe the same antibiotic while treating a bacterial infection that refuses to subside needs his certificate to be reexamined. These words of wisdoms have a lot to say about our government and legislators. It is unbelievable that we as a nation have sunk so low that even common sense is a rare gem to be found.

Was not the chief of army staff ordered by the same legislators to relocate to Maiduguri weeks before the abduction of the innocent school girls in Chibok? Virtually, the legislators here had to assume the position of the C-in-C from what they observed of the callousness of the government recognized even internationally. We are then in trouble. A knife in the hands of a madman on a market day!