Date: 2017-01-30

The Kwara State House of Assembly says it will tailor 2017 budget towards ensuring the realisation of the vision of the State Governor of creating more employment opportunities, increased Internally Generated Revenue and sustainable economic development of the state.

The Speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad gave the assurance in Ilorin during the on going debate on the general principles of the 2017 Appropriation Bill before the legislature.

Dr Ahmad who insisted vehemently that the budget should be based on something realisable assured that 2017 budget that would be passed by the House would be targeted towards achieving specific goals and vision of the State Governor.

He However expressed reservation over poor allocation to the agricultural sector and process of tapping the potentials of Owu fall this year, stressing that agriculture and tourism globally had been discovered to be veritable means of creating massive employment and alternative sources of diversifying the economy and funding of governance.

In his submission, the Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon Mashood Bakare who based his submission on the ten month actual performance noted with delight that 2016 budget could be said to have performed well, and praised the Governor for his ingenuity in establishing the State Internal Revenue Service whose performance he said was 88.3% as at October 2016.

He noted with delight that the State would be spending over N70.986bn on capital projects representing 52% of the total budget to fast track socio- economic transformation of the State.

Also speaking on the Budget, the Chairman House Committee on Energy, Works and Transport Hon. Mathew Babaoye disclosed that a sum of N6.5bn is earmarked for capital projects under the Ministry of Works this year. He said the road leading to Owu Fall be captured in this year's budget to ensure proper harnessing of the tourism potentials of Owu Fall through Public Private Partnership.

In his debate, a member representing Ilesha / Gwanara Constituency Hon.Mohammed Umar Gunu said allocation to provision of Water in the budget was insufficient to cater for the water need of the people of the State. He urged the State Government to make the construction of Ilesha Baruba campus of the State University a priority in this year's budget, in view of its strategic importance to socio- economic emancipation of the State.