N19.3bn budget for kitchen equipment fake news – Zamfara govt

The Zamfara State Government has denied reports claiming it allocated N19.3 billion for kitchen equipment in its 2024 budget, labeling the information as false and misleading.

An online platform had reported that a review of the state’s budget document revealed this allocation for kitchen and canteen equipment for the upcoming fiscal year.

In a press briefing in Gusau, the state capital, Mallam Abdulmalik Gajam, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, expressed disappointment in the misleading report. Gajam clarified that the reported N19.3 billion is actually designated for various projects under the Ministry of Education, and criticized the news platform for presenting incomplete and misleading statistics by omitting essential details from the full budget document.

The allocation of 19.3 billion was budgeted under the Ministry of Education as capital expenditure.

The term “canteen & kitchen” refers to a fixed asset purchase category encompassing several expenditures. These include provisions for the Agile Program, construction of zonal primary schools, establishment of a smart primary school in Gusau, procurement of kitchen utensils for all government schools at a cost of 40 million naira, construction of a teachers’ training center, and creation of a teachers’ development funding scheme.

Together, these projects total 19.3 billion.

The commissioner also emphasized that Governor Daudu Lawal’s administration is committed to reducing public fund misuse and closing financial leakages.