Sokoto Assembly passes N53bn 2024 Appropriation Bill for 23 LGAs

The Sokoto State House of Assembly has passed the 2024 Appropriation Bill for the 23 Local Government Areas in the state, totaling N53 billion.

This followed the consideration of the report of the Joint House Committee on Local Government and Community Development and that of Finance and Appropriation at the plenary sitting on Wednesday.

Presenting the report, Alhaji Sa’idu Ibrahim (APC- Sabon Birni South), the Committee’s Chairman, highlighted that all the 23 LGAs Officials presented and defended their annual budget proposals before the joint committee.

He said the total budget sum stood at N53 billion, comprising N36 billion for capital expenditures and N17 billion for recurrent expenditures.

“The committee noted the varying performances of the LGAs in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), urging those lagging behind to explore additional revenue sources to bolster their revenue base.

“Furthermore, it recommended the training of LG Directors of Finance and Planning Officers on the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) based budgeting procedure to enhance their budget preparation skills.

“Additionally, it emphasised the importance of familiarising LGAs with the provisions of the new harmonised and consolidated revenue law of 2019 to streamline revenue collection within their jurisdictions,” Ibrahim said.

The Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Kabiru Ibrahim, who presided over the sitting, put the request into a voice vote, which was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.