The Kwara State House of Assembly has called for increased participation of professionals and members of the public in the budget process of the State House of Assembly to ensure an all inclusive budget for the State.
The Speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad made the call in Ilorin on Tuesday, while speaking during continuation of debate on the general principles of the State 2017 budget before the Legislature.
Dr Ahmad explained the 8th legislature under his watch could pass an all inclusive, workable budget that would meet the needs of the people, only when relevant stakeholders demonstrate genuine commitment in assisting lawmakers by making their views known and praised a Don of Al- Hikmah University for his article on the 2017 budget in the National Pilot Newspaper.
Dr. Ahmad who assured that the House would reflect their views on the budget adding that some cabinet members would be invited to address the legislature on key areas of governance, before the bill would be . passed into law, to ensure that the budget meets the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the State.
He then directed the Chairman House Committee on Agriculture and Water to get the costing of the reactivation of Afon Water Works, to ensure that it was captured in this year's budget to address the acute water problem confronting the people of the area.
In his submission, a member representing Kaiama/Kemanji /Wajibe Constituency Hon.Ahmed Ibn Mohammed said Appropriation Bill in the state should no longer be based on presumption to ensure that projects initiated for execution under the budget were priority projects of the benefiting Communities .
He said the construction of 3 kilometre Kaiama/Kemanji road project in this year's budget was not the priority project of the people of Kaiama local Government Area and urged the House to consider allocating funds for the on going construction of Kaiama/Kisi road Igbeti/Baani rural road to fast track movement of agricultural products from rural to urban centre.
Also speaking , a member representing Edu Constituency Hon.Ishiaku Aliyu Adams who described agriculture as a means of diversifying the source of funding governance, noted with displeasure that, Peasant farmers, tractor hiring service and other agricultural programmes in the State, were not captured in the 2017 Appropriation Bill before the House for passage into law.
He said the allocation of N133m to the agricultural sector in this year budget was grossly inadequate to meet the State government' s policy of using agriculture to create job opportunities, increased Internally Generated Revenue and sustaining economics development.
In his remark, a member representing Afon Constituency Hon.Muhammad Mobolaji Amosa praised the Senate President and the Speaker for ensuring the inclusion of Afon/Aboto/Oyo State boundary road in the federal Government budget.
He equally commended the state Government for its intention to construct Odo-Ode-Igbotele -Ikotun road this year and urged the State government to reactivate Afon Water Works to permanently address the acute water problem confronting the people of the area
Meanwhile, the House has passed 2016 Supplementary Budget of N111,460,177,598 raised down from N128,109,791,414 representing 12.99%.
