Zamfara Govt Refutes N19.3bn Kitchen Budget Claim, Clarifies Funds Allocated to Education

Zamfara State Government has refuted the claim that it budgeted N19.3 billion for purchasing kitchen equipment in 2024, stating that the fake news is intended to mislead the public.

On Tuesday, an online platform reported that a review of the Zamfara State budget performance document had shown that the state budgeted N19.3 billion to purchase kitchen and canteen equipment for the 2024 fiscal year.

In a response during a press briefing in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara state, Mallam Abdulmalik Gajam, the state commissioner for budget and planning, expressed disappointment in the misleading report.

Gajam provided details of the breakdown of the N19.3 billion budgeted for projects under the Ministry of Education.

He said, “the news platform that peddled the fake news pushed half-baked statistics, omitting the vital information from the complete budget performance document.

“The breakdown of N19.3 billion was budgeted under the Ministry of Education, and it is under the category of capital expenditure.

“The name canteen & kitchen is a fixed asset purchase the coded name of a particular category of multiple expenditures which contain a provision on the Agile programme, construction of zonal primary schools, provision of smart primary school in Gusau, procurement of kitchen utensil for all government schools for 40 million, construction of teachers’ training centre and creation of teachers development funding scheme.

“All this put together is what constituted 19.3 billion.”

The Commissioner further stressed that Governor Lawal’s administration came to reduce the abuse of public funds and block leakages.
“We would not be found wanting in relation to such mismanagement and irresponsibility,” he said.