Date: 2017-02-07

The Kwara State House of Assembly is set to alter the 2017 budget proposal currently before the legislature, National Pilot gathered, last night.

Although it remains unconfirmed whether the budget will be reduced or increased, multiple sources who confided in this medium last night said the "budget proposal will be adjusted definitely when the House is done with deliberating on the issue."

This is coming just as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state commence their budget defence on Tuesday (tomorrow). The lawmakers had adjourned plenary on Thursday to February 21, 2017 to allow members of the various committees meet to harmonise figures before the passage of the budget.

Speaking further on the issue, a lawmaker who preferred anonymity last night said the members after the outcome of budget defence will determine the final budget size adding that areas that funds needed to be reduced or increased will not be overlooked.

He added that the House is determined to expeditiously pass the budget in-line with the yearning and aspirations of the people. "It is either we jack up the budget or reduce it depending on the outcome of the defence with the various ministries.

"If we suspect some unnecessary provisions or areas where we believe the vote is too low compared to present realities, we will definitely adjust it to reflect the interest of the masses especially if the executive find it difficult to convince us on some of the issues raised"

"We were ordinarily supposed to start meeting the committees on Monday and the House committees have written to different ministries before now about it. "But most of the committees wrote back to us and requested for Tuesday and we have agreed to commence the budget defence on Tuesday (tomorrow).

'So it's not that we adjourned sitting, we did that to fully have the time to concentrate on the budget and get it passed expeditiously. But of course, we'll scrutinise it to ensure that it meets the expectation of the people.

Another lawmaker who also confided in National Pilot on the issue said the House is vested with the powers to increase or reduce the budget where they find it necessary.

"Well, under the powers of the House of Assembly, it is vested with the power to increase or reduce the budget when they consider it necessity. "So the issue (whether to increase or reduce) depends on when various committees collate their reports and submit it to the central committee, it is then we can decide what to do across all the areas. Some adjustment will definitely have to be made."

He said, "We have resumed working on the budget and various ministries will come and defend. We adjourned to 21st February so that each committee will have time to meet their various MDAs and parastatals. It's not that we are on holiday," the lawmaker added.

But National Pilot gathered that some of the areas that the lawmakers may 'adjust' include additional funds for the bursary of students of the state in tertiary institutions across the country and the agriculture sector among others.

They may also reduce some of the recurrent expenditure "we feel it's not necessary" to augment where we feel can strongly add value to the state. "The executive wrote a letter to the House to approve one billion naira agriculture loan which was part of the budget and we felt it was too small especially when we say we want to diversify the economy. "So we have to look critically at these issues to make proper adjustment and also reduce some of the recurrent expenditure we feel are not necessary or too bogus", another lawmaker added.

Meanwhile, a member of the state Assembly, Hon AbdulRafiu AbdulRahman has faulted the proposed 2017 Kwara budget over non provision of bursary award for indigenous students in tertiary institutions across the country.

AbdulRahman (llorin North West) and a member of the Education Committee made the observation during the continuation of debate of the 2017 budget. The lawmaker who was making his contribution to the debate of general principle of 2017 budget which entered fifth day on Thursday noted that non inclusion of bursary award will create untold hardship for the students.

He said the provision of bursary award in 2017 budget has become imperative to cushion the effect of current economic predicament in the country and appealed to his colleagues to suggest a specific amount in the budget to cater for bursary allowance for indigenes of the state in tertiary institutions.

The Deputy Speaker, Hon Matthew Okedare who presided over Thursday's plenary supported the position of AbdulRahman adding that the bursary award would greatly assist several indigent parents.

Okedare later directed the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to further work on the budget and report to the House on 21st February, 2017. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed last year December presented a budget proposal of N135.06billion christened "Budget of Introspection and Sustenance".

The governor said over 57.4 billion will go for recurrent expenditure representing 42.5 per cent of the total budget size while capital expenditure is over N70. 9billion representing 52.5 per cent.