Speaking at the ceremony, Ganduje said that the budget tagged ‘Budget for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development’ will focus on education and infrastructure development.

He said that N74 billion of the budget was for capital expenditure, representing 55.5 per cent, while N72.2 billion was for recurrent expenditure, representing over 40 per cent.

Ganduje said that the total recurrent revenue for the state for 2021 was estimated at N106 billion.

He said that the amount included N24 billion Internally Generated Revenue(IGR), N52 billion from federation account and N28 billion Value Added Tax (VAT).

According to Ganduje, over N37.8 billion, representing 25 per cent of the budget is allocated to the education sector, while N11.8 billion is allocated to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

He said N25.5 billion was allocated to the health sector, while the Ministry of Environment was allocated N1.1 billion.

“We proposed N2.5 billion for the information sector, over N9 billion for water resources, N5.2 billion for judiciary, while religious affairs was allocated N557 billion.

“The budget reflects our vision for diversification of sources of revenue with a view to laying solid foundation that will guide the administration to pursue its development objectives.

“Also to enable us built on our operational principles, aspirations and priorities geared towards the continued leadership position of the state,” he said.

Alhaji Abdulazeez Garba-Gafasa, Speaker of the house, promised that the lawmakers would speedily consider and pass the budget.

He, however, said that the lawmakers would properly scrutinise the budget and follow due process before its passage.

The speaker pledged that the house would continue to work together with the executive for the development of the state.

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Muhammad Garba, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday in Kano.

The statement quoted the governor as directing the committee to convene a meeting with different nationalities and adopt proactive measures towards promoting peaceful coexistence in the state.

Ganduje directed the committee to work out an appropriate peace-building mechanisms for the sustainability of the various peace efforts by the government and security agencies.

The governor who described the protests as unfortunate, urged members of the committee to educate the youths on the importance of peace and being law-abiding.

Ganduje said that his administration had instituted various measures, to safeguard lives and property in the state.

“The committee will be co-Chair by Igwe Boniface Ibekwe and Rev. Adeyemi Samuel, as representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the various Christian denominations.

“Others include: Christian youth groups, representatives of ethnic nationalities and that of the traders.” Ganduje said in the statement.

The statement added that the governor also held a similar meeting with Islamic clerics and members of the business community in the state.

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It said that Ganduje witnessed the release of the inmates from the correctional centre at Goron Dutse on Sunday, and quoted him as declaring that the gesture was in the spirit of Eid-El Fitr.

“The governor also said that the gesture was to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to further reduce congestion in the nation’s correctional centres.

“Ganduje also recalled that President Muhammadu Buhar‎i had directed governors to decongest correctional centres to help observe COVID-19’s social distancing protocol.

“It is based on that directive that in the last two months the state has released 603 inmates. The goal is to decongest Correctional Centres. We hope that they will be of good character henceforth,” the statement said.

It said that the governor also gave each of the freed inmates N5,000 as transport fare to their destinations.

The statement quoted the Comptroller of Prisons, Abdullahi Magaji, as commending Ganduje for donating 30 hectares of land to the Federal Government for the construction of a modern Correctional Centre.

Magaji also advised the freed inmates to be of good character and stay off crimes to avoid going back to prison.

The statement indicated that the governor was accompanied to the centre by his deputy, Nasiru Gawuna, and the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero.

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The governor made the commendation when he received members of the House of Representatives from Kano State on a solidarity and sympathy visit on Tuesday night.

According to him, this is a good development and effort by the federal government in supporting the effort of the state government on the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

“President Muhammadu Buhari deserved to be commended for ensuring that the test centre in Kano continue to function.

“And also we commend him for sending a powerful delegation to find out the problem with the aim at finding a solution.

“The state need more testing centres across. Looking at our population, the state government is providing more health workers to support the federal government effort,” Ganduje said.

According to him, the more test centres are provided, the more the job will become easier, noting that another centre set-up by the Bayero University Kano (BUK) will soon commence operation.

“I want to assure you that very soon, we are going to make it necessary for the use of face mask in the state,” he said.

Ganduje further commended the House of Representatives and all the members from Kano state for their concern over what is happening in the state on the issue of COVID-19.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, said the visit was to express their concern and sympathy with the people and government over the recent sudden and alarming deaths in the state.

While commending the efforts of the state government in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, he called on the public to also support the government.

“I wish to inform you that we have written to President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking for his prompt intervention to support the state in fighting Coronavirus pandemic.

“The decision was necessary because the state need serious support, not only from the Federal Governmemt, but also from all the stakeholders to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are also in Kano to find a way to collaborate with the state government and also the people of the state to find a lasting solution for the pandemic in the state,” he said.

The leader said that the House of Representatives had a special session on Tuesday (April 28), which was dominated with a discussion on Kano situation over the issue of COVID-19 pandemic.

“We came to Kano to represent the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajiabiamila to commend the governor for his tireless effort in fighting COVID-19,” Ado-Doguwa said.

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