Taraba State signs N104.2 billion appropriation law

Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, on Wednesday, gave assent to the one hundred and four billion naira budget passed by the State House of Assembly for the 2018 fiscal year.

The governor said his top priority will be in agriculture, because the people Taraba State are largely peasant farmers.

He noted that he has built a Greenhouse that has employed hundreds of Taraba people, who are exporting vegetables and increasing the revenue base of the State.

He disclosed that he intends to establish small scale industries that would be processing agricultural produce in the State such as cassava, soybeans, tomatoes and fruits.

The governor added that he would take care of crop farmers and cattle breeders, with a view to not only rehabilitating those affected in their clashes, but educating them on the symbiotic relationship between them, targeted at ending their perennial clashes.

Ishaku had submitted a budget proposal of N96.6 billion to the House, but the lawmakers increased it to N104.2 billion.

Ishaku promised to do his best for people to see, as such, he said: “the modest increase will solve many problems of infrastructure and would provide the desired dividends of democracy.”

The House of Assembly Speaker, Peter Abel Diah, said, the Assembly, in the course of processing the budget, “in its wisdom,” increased the budget by N2.02 billion.

“Furthermore, following the governor’s letter of January 26, 2018, requesting House’s approval to expend the third tranche of the Paris Club Excess Debt Service Payment refunds amounting to N5.6 billion, the House deemed it important to incorporate this amount into the current budget.

“Accordingly, this has raised the total proposed expenditure to N104.2 billion.

“It is my hope and desire that the budget will be accorded diligent implementation to meet the aspirations of the people of Taraba State,” the Speaker said.

Diah assured of the House’s commitment to a good working relationship with the executive arm of the State.

He said: “We (Assembly) shall continue to perform our constitutional responsibility of oversight to ensure that the approved budget is appropriately implemented by the various MDAs.

“We were eager to achieve a timely passage of the bill and equally conscious of our responsibility to meticulously examine every aspect of the appropriation bill, to ensure that the bill is not expeditiously passed into law, but that it is also capable of addressing the needs of the people of our dear State.”