Sokoto Assembly Passes N21bn Supplementary Appropriation Bill

The Sokoto State House of Assembly on Thursday passed a Supplementary Appropriation Bill of N21 billion to fund the state administration.

The development followed a letter dated Aug. 9, addressed to the Speaker of the House, Tukur Bala, by Governor Ahmed Aliyu, and presented at the plenary.

Aliyu said the request followed the need to carry out modifications in the budgetary provisions to accommodate additional income and earnings of all the projected revenue in the state’s budget.

As the Bill got its first and second reading, the Assembly Majority Leader Bello Idris, requested the members to consider it at the committee of the whole House.

After the committee meeting, the Speaker put the motion into a voice vote whereby the lawmakers unanimously adopted the Bill.

In a related development, a Bill for a law to amend the fiscal responsibility law 2019 has passed second reading at the Assembly plenary.

The private member Bill presented by Abubakar Shehu is to provide for the approval of the House of Assembly for virement and other related matters.

The Speaker referred the Bill to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for scrutiny and to report back to the Assembly in two weeks.

Commissioner nominees

Meanwhile, the House in a letter dated Aug. 9, received the second list of eight Commissioner nominees and members of the state Executive Council.

Reading the letter at plenary, Bala said the governor’s request was following the need to constitute the state Executive Council as enshrined in the Public Service Rules.

“This is as well as other procedures as required by the law pertaining to such appointments.

“As such need for its earnest consideration in the interest of ensuring effective conduct of government business in the state,” he said.

The nominees are Ibrahim Adare, Aminu Bodai, Nura Shehu, Shehu Chaco, Sharehu Kamarawa, Sanusi Umar, Haruna Bashar and Nasiru Binji.

NAN