By Francis Nansak, Lafia
Some Ministry’s Department and Agencies of Nasarawa State Government has been cautioned against excess spending in the 2022 budget.
This,the house which recently returned from recess left no stone unturned as they embarked on oversight functions .
The State House of Assembly,first appealed to Gov. Abdullahi Sule to release more funds for the payment of gratuity and pension of retirees in the state.
In their various committees meeting,Hon Aliyu Dogara, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation made the appeal when the management of Nasarawa State Bureau for Pension Administration appeared before the committee on its 2022 budget performance and assessment last week in lafia.
Dogara said that releasing more funds to the bureau would help in the payment of gratuity and pension to more retirees in the state.
” As this will go a long way in improving on the standard of living of our senior citizens and that of their family members,” he said.
He said that the committee has decided to invite the management of the bureau in order to assess the bureau’s 2022 budget performance.
” We have invited you to do what the law empowered us by assessing your bureau 2022 budget performance,” he said.
He has also commended the bureau for its good budget performance and urged them to do more in bettering the standard of living of the pensioners.
The Chairman,however cautioned the management of the bureau against over spending in the interest of development.
Earlier, Alhaji Suleiman Musa Nagogo, told the committee that the bureau is up to date in the payment of pension to pensioners in the state.
” For the gratuity, payment is done quarterly amounting to N150million which is Insufficient.
The director general said that the bureau has spent N1.94 billion for the payment of pension to 3219 retirees from January to date.
In another development, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon Mohammed Adamu Omadefu, has frowned at over spending by the state ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in this year’s budget.
Adamu Omadefu, stated this when the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon Yakubu Lawal led management of the ministry to appear before the committee on its 2022 budget performance assessment.
He expressed dismayed over spending by the ministry, calling on the ministry to adhere strictly to budgetary provisions.
Omadefu said that the importance of information in societal development could not be overemphasized, hence the need of the committee’s readiness to partner the state government in that direction.
” I want to call on you to desist from over-spending as it is an offence since the over-spending by the ministry was done without an approval,” he said.
” The exercise is not to witch hunt anybody but is to ensure that the right things are done by your ministry,” he said.
Omadefu has urged MDAs to respect the laws establishing them for the overall development of the state.
” I want to call on the office of the SSG and others to allow the state ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to manage hotels, particularly, Blue Spring Hotel, Abuja and other hotels in the state,” he added.
Similarly, the Nasarawa State House Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning has frown and rejected the budget performance of the management of Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) urging them to ensure proper compilation of the board 2022 budget.
The committee frowned at poor budgetary report and analysis of the board.
Hon Suleiman Yakubu Azara Chairman of the Committee gave the directive.
” Please go back and do the needful and report back to the committee next week, Thursday, your reports lacks total harmonization and their is no synergy between the reports of the directors, please go and put your house in order” he said.
Earlier, The Director General of NUDB, Engr. Mohammed Yahaya Wada represented by Engr. Enga Ezekiel has assured of the board’s readiness to do the needful and make necessary correction in the budget report.
The Committee on Health, however lauded management of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, ( DASH) Lafia for generating N187 million from January to June, 2022 which is above average of the hospital approved revenue target of N262million for the fiscal year.
Hon Usman Labaran Shafa, the Chairman of the committee.assured the Management of the hospital of effective collaboration in order to improve on the health status of the people of the state.
In his response, Dr Hassan Ikrama, the Chief Medical Director ( CMD) of DASH expressed happiness with the support the hospital is enjoying from the committee and the state government.
” We are happy with your support and we call for it sustenance,” he said.
Ikrama said that the hospital has generated N187millon as revenue in the last 6 months overshooting its target by N56 million.
” Our approved revenue is N262million and so far, what we have acrued is NN187million as we have over shoot our revenue target by N56 million,” he said.
The CMD commended Gov Sule for developing the health sector in the state.
He, however, solicited for the support of the committee in the areas of staffing, equipment among others.
Responding, Hon Usman Labaran Shafa, the Chairman of the committee has assured them of the committee’s readiness to support its activities to succeed.
” Our prayers is that the government should do the needful in order to ensure that all necessary facilities are provided,” he said.