Bauchi governor signs N129.8bn revised 2020 Appropriation Bill, five others into law

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State on Wednesday signed the revised 2020 Appropriation Bill of N129.8 billion and six other bills into law.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Mohammed had signed a N167.2 billion appropriated bill before the outbreak of COVID-19.

The governor, who signed the appropriation in Bauchi, said the budget was scaled down to meet up with the current realities of the state economy.

He explained that N68, 985, 865. 35 of the budget was for recurrent expenditure which represent 53 per cent, while N60, 866, 458, 845 was for capital expenditure, representing 47 per cent of the budget.

Mr Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the financial proposal that went through the mandatory legislative procedures before it was passed to become a bill.

He commended the state legislators for collaborating with the state executive in spite of party differences to move the state forward.

“I must also commend the House of Assembly members for passing five other bills that include Public Procurement bill, Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) bill and upgrading of A.D. Rufai College for Legal Studies to College of Education bill.

“So also the bills renaming College of Nursing Studies, Bauchi, to Dangote College of Nursing Bauchi, College of Health Technology, Ningi, to Bill and Melinda Gate College of Technology, Ningi,” he said.

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Mr Mohammed said that all the six bills had relevance to the development and prosperity of the state.

Earlier, Abubakar Sulaiman, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, said the pandemic that had ravaged the world and dwindling economy forced the revision of the 2020 budget.

He said the budget proposal presented to the House was in line with international standards which was the reason it was unanimously approved and passed.

The speaker said the governor should be commended for the presentation of an excellent revised budget document to the house. (NAN)