[size=14pt]Kogi lawmakers ask for 25% of 2011 budget
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From Shola Oyeyipo in Lokoja, 12.20.2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

In a reminder of the ongoing debate on National Assembly's share of the national budget, the Kogi State House of Assembly has demanded that not less than 25 per cent of the N85.5 billion budget for 2011 - which is N21.375 billion - should be allocated to it.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/dec/21/212.html

Speaker of the House, Chief Clarence Olafemi, made the appeal yesterday at the presentation of the 2011 budget to the House.

He stated that "as a priority, we want an increase in the financial allocation to the house but which should not be below 25 per cent of the total budget of the state for both recurrent and capital expenses.

"Like any other government establishment, the state Assembly is not immune to problems. Our problem as you may already known is poor funding. The money accruing for the management and running of both overhead and capital responsibilities is still grossly inadequate.

"I must commend the understanding of my colleagues who continue to endure under a very critical condition to perform their legislative duties. There is no gain saying the fact that Honourable members need a decent accommodation to work."

He, however, assured Governor Ibrahim Idris that the House was ready to pass the budget without delay, urging government officials to respond with dispatch to defend their sector allocations before the various committees.

Idris had presented a N85.5 billion 2011 budget, which he said would ensure the completion of ongoing projects, to the state House of Assembly.

The governor, who was at the House, noted that with the passage of the budget, his administration hoped to improve on the state's internally generated revenue, payment of counterpart funds, the completion of all ongoing projects and enhancement of public-private partnership as a way of facilitating development in the state.

He noted that out of the said sum, N18.8 billion would be expended on the transport sector; education, N5.1 billion; while agriculture, health, housing, administration, information and sports development, commerce and industry, water supply and energy would gulp N2.3 billion, N3.4 billion, N780 million, N8.2 billion, N1.9 billion, N1.030 billion, N3.6 billion and N615 million respectively.

The governor, who emphasised that his administration successfully implemented the 2010 budget, promised that the 2011 budget would be implemented in a manner that it would deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

The Speaker assured him that the budget would enjoy accelerated passage by the House as a way of fast-tracking the development of the state.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State government has ordered that traders that have paid for the allocation of shops at the Kogi State International Market, Lokoja, should move to location latest by December 31, 2010 or forfeit their allocations.

The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Abdulkareem Abubakar, who made the declaration in a chat with journalists at his office in Lokoja yesterday, stressed that the market had not been functional following the refusal of the traders to move to the market that was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan.

On the issue of rent, which is believed to be on the high side, he said the state government had reduced it to between N12,000 for open shops and N40,000 for the small lock-up shops, while the bigger shops now cost N80,000 per annum.

On the allegation that the shops at the international market were allocated to political office holders in the state, Abubakar said it was not true and that the allocation of the shops was done by the Kogi Loans and Savings Limited without government interference.

i dey laugh ooooooooooooo

And the governor will want another 25%, then contractors will take another 25% and the state will only be run with 25% of its resources.

They are just following the footsteps of their "fathers" in national assembly (Lawlooters)

paule:

They are just following the footsteps of their "fathers" in national assembly (Lawlooters)

Not always, some come out of nowhere to loot and destroy.