Benue 2022 appropriation bill of N155.61bn passes 2nd reading

Benue Financing, Recurrent and Capital Expenditure Appropriation Bill of N155,611,390,265 for the 2022 fiscal year, on Thursday passed the second reading on the floor of the Benue State House of Assembly, in Makurdi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the recurrent expenditure of the bill is N98,792,082,431.34, while capital expenditure stands at N56,819,307,834.48.

Leading debate for the second passage, the Majority Leader, Mr Damian Cheme, expressed hope that the huge allocation to recurrent expenditure by the state government would guarantee payment of salaries , pensions , gratuities and servicing  of debts in order to ensure well-being of Benue citizens.

Cheme stated that the house would dwell seriously on the executive arm of government to fund the proposed  budget as it would not lose sight on how the revenue generated would be allocated and managed.

“We shall keenly look inward by strictly monitoring Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that they deploy their maximum interim revenue generation capacities while also blocking leakages,” Cheme emphasised.

Seconding the motion for the second reading of the bill, the house Minority Leader, Mr Bem Mngutyo (Tarka/APC) said it was very important that the bill be read for the second time for quick passage to aid development in the state.

After contributions from members in favour of the bill, the Speaker, Mr Titus Uba, invited the Clerk, Mr Benard Nule, to read it for the second time.

Uba then referred the bill to the committee on appropriation for further legislative scrutiny