Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule has sent a N8.67 billion as 2021 supplementary budget to the House of Assembly for consideration and approval.
Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, the Speaker of the House, read the governor’s request during the House proceedings in Lafia on Wednesday.
Balarabe-Abdullahi said that the supplementary bill if passed into law was to ensure the completion of ongoing projects in the state.
“A Bill for a Law to issue out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State (Supplementary Appropriation Bill) of the sum of N5, 975, 076, 812.86 and a virement (Re-Allocation/ Adjustment) of 2,690,023,000 only for the services of Nasarawa state government scaled first and second readings.
“I commit the bill to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to work on it and report back to the House on October 19, 2021,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Tanko Tunga (APC-Awe North), the Majority Leader of the House, moved a motion for the bill to scale first and second readings respectively.
Mr Abel Bala (PDP-Nassarawa Eggon West), the Minority Leader of the House, seconded the motion.
The house unanimously passed the bill into first and second readings.
It would be recalled that on December 31, 2020 Governor Sule signed the state N115.7 billion 2021 budget into law.
He said that the signing of the budget tagged: “Budget of Economic Recuperation” would enable the state to begin the constitutional 12-month Budget circle, starting from January 1 and ending on December 31.
It would also be recalled that the governor had on November 17 presented a budget of N112.9 billion to the State House of Assembly for approval.
The lawmakers, however, raised the amount to N115.7 billion representing 2.48 per cent increase.
In a related development, the House passed into first reading a Bill for a Law to Establish the State Security Trust Fund and Other Related Matters Therewith.
The speaker slated October 20, 2021 for the second reading of the bill.
Furthermore, the house also passed into first reading a Bill for a Law to Establish the Nasarawa State Information Technology Development Agency and Other Related Matters.
The speaker slated October 25, 2021 for the second reading of the bill.