Commissioner Explains Why Bauchi Budgeted N50bn for Education, Health in 2017

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Bauchi State government has stated that it has allocated the sums of N27.4 billion and N23.4 billion to the education and health sectors which represent 18 and 16 per cent respectively of its 2017 budget in order to renovate 293 secondary schools across the state and construct 20 model primary health centres in the 20 local government areas.

The state Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Idris Abdullahi, stated this yesterday while addressing journalists on the N145 billion 2017 budget breakdown of the state at the ministry of budget and economic planning.

He stressed that education and health are the most vital sectors which affect all and sundry, hence the resolve of the present administration to allocate more funds with a view to revamping the two sectors.

On measures to mitigate unemployment, the commissioner said funding for the agricultural sector was also increased in the 2017 appropriation bill, with the main objective of creating many jobs and wealth as well as food security, pointing out that certain measures have been put in place to ensure the actualisation of the agricultural revolution programme of the administration before the next farming season.

These measures, according to him, were the purchase of strategic grains, for future use to cushion the effects of price fluctuation on farmers’ income and the provision of farm implements, fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides and other inputs, just as tractor hiring unit of the ministry of agriculture is being strengthened with refurbished tractors and that simple and affordable new ones are being purchased.

Apart from that, the commissioner said the government would establish farm training centres and demonstration farms, adding that the biometric data of farmers in the State would be taken to enable small farmers access inputs directly at subsidized prices under the Nigeria Agricultural Payment Initiative.

“’ Government has keyed into the federal government’s Anchor Borrowers Agricultural scheme while proposing to empower youths in irrigation agriculture at Waya dam irrigation project in Bauchi South, Galala irrigation in Bauchi Central and Adalda irrigation scheme in Bauchi North, covering a total of about 300 hectres of land. He explained.