Skip to main content

Jagaba on Gov el-Rufai's 2020 Budget


Fallout of lopsided implementation of state budget in the education sector


By Nasiru Jagaba
jagabanasiru@gmail.com                                

Let me start by commending the Governor of Kaduna state for being consistent in maintaining the January to December budget year. This provides some high level of fiscal and economic sustainability in the State. My commendation may come as a surprise to many who know that I have been a consistent critic of his government as the national youth Leader (out-going now) of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU).

 My stand has not changed as I remain a dogged fighter of injustice regardless of its form of manifestation. However, in analyzing governance, one must uphold a higher level of objectivity by appreciating progress (no matter how small) while fighting for fairness, equity and justice.

That aside, I have committed myself to tracking governance in Kaduna state and Nigeria to ensure that the right of citizens to development is guaranteed.

As many of us are aware the 2020 draft budget has been presented to the Kaduna State House of Assembly by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe. It is now expected that the Assembly will scrutinize the appropriateness and distribution of the N257,908,819,733.66 budget made up of recurrent allocation of N67,877,232,798.52 and capital expenditure of N190,031,586,935.14.

Looking at it from the surface, one is tempted to acknowledge the effort of the government in maintaining a ratio that favors capital expenditure (with the recurrent expenditure not exceeding 30% over the past five years). Again the capital expenditure proposed this year is about the highest ever.

However, on deeper interrogation one's excitement will be depressed, as budget performance over the years has left little to be desired. 

So also, if one considers the lopsidedness in the spread of development in the State; while the Northern side (pre-dominantly Hausa/Fulani Muslims) of the State enjoy government presence, the Southern Kaduna(pre-dominantly non- Hausa/Fulani Christian) area is glaringly left to suffer for supposedly not being in the good books of the Governor. 

This has fueled more mutual mistrust and suspicion between the people of Southern Kaduna and the Governor than any other time in the history of the State. It is not in contention that the Governor has never hidden his disdain for the region, even when he should be a father for all. 

It is in view of this brief highlights above that I challenge the government of Mallam Nasir Ahmed Elrufai to:

1. make public the breakdown geographical spread (Kaduna North, Central and South Senatorial zones) of the sectorial budgets of Kaduna state from 2016-2019;

2. show the breakdown geographical spread (Kaduna North, Central and South Senatorial zones) of the sectorial budgets performance of Kaduna state from 2016-2019 (mid-year);

3. show the number of projects started and completed in each of the three Senatorial zones from 2016 to 2019;

4. show us one community in Southern Kaduna or largely non-Hausa/Fulani that has received his developmental attention in comparison to Rigasa, Ungwan Dosa etc;

5. make public the geographical spread of how the government intends to spend the N190,031,586,935.14 proposed Capital expenditure;

6. also, the N45,473,026,469.45 external loan, how much is each Senatorial zone is getting.

7. Other issues are that: the 2020 budget is proposing to spend over 30 billion naira on roads, can the Governor also make public the geographical distribution of the roads to be constructed;

8. finally, there are rumors that Kaduna is worst off today in all health indicators compared to before 2015 despite huge donor funds spend; can the government comes out with evidence to dispel this rumors. 

I will stop here, and challenge the government to demonstrate publicly in action its rhetorics of being pro-people, fair, equitable and just to all sections of the State. The government is said to be a pacesetter in governance reforms that promote transparency, accountability and responsiveness to citizen's engagement. Now is the time to proof it as not being stage-managed to hoodwink the international community.

The good people of Kaduna state,         Nigerians and International communities await your response on the above issues raised.

Jagaba who writes from Kaduna is the President, Network for the Rights of Indigenous and Marginalized People.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NEWS FEATURE: Governor el-Rufai and the Sanctity of the Ballot

el-Rufai: Voting at his polling unit  BY NASIRU JAGABA  F irst of all, let me start by congratulating the Citizens of Kaduna State, for violence free election in the local government polls. The peaceful conduct of the citizens in Kaduna despite the happenings that had shown clearly the desperation of persons in the corridor of power to manipulate, overturn the result refused to give in to the chaos but rather responded with all sense of maturity and confidence in the sanctity of the ballot. Had Kaduna responded in similar desperation as shown by the institutional riggers, perhaps curfew would have been slammed in several areas which would have created the perfect cover for the malpractices to happen. The hate speeches and incitement from the top government officials in Kaduna state government did not end on the platforms for the campaigns alone but went further to reflect in the exercise that held. There are several accounts going round about thugs accompanying some of
1 comment
Read more

'Terrorists are all over, not only Southern Kaduna'

-Governor Nasir el-Rufai el-Rufai addressing Journalists in Hausa after a security meeting on Southern Kaduna By DANGWA DANJUMA G overnor Ahmed Nasir el-Rufai has admitted that terrorists are everywhere in Kaduna state, not only in the troubled Southern Kaduna, disclosing that miscreants have taken to the social media space to promote what he called disturbing and further aggravating the worsening situation situation with religious and ethnic colouration. Speaking to newsmen in Hausa, after a meeting with security officials, el-Rufai said that miscreants from Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and outside Nigeria are trying to insinuate that the Southern Kaduna killings is ethnic and religious even going as far as asking people to take the law into their hands. While maintaining that these people would be brought to book, he tasked traditional leaders, religious leaders and political office holders in the state to speak the truth about the happenings as failing to do so wo
Post a Comment
Read more

Kaduna IDPs cry out over Deplorable Conditions

By DANGWA DANJUMA L ack of basic education, sanitation, healthcare facilities and access to portable water supply have hit Gwagwada, a host community camping over 300 households displaced from fifteen villages in Chikun Local Council of the state. Speaking at the flag off of relief materials distribution for the internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Village Head of Gadani, Mr Bitrus Tsauri disclosed: “Since they arrived, the wells which have been the sure source of water for several households in the community have dried up; the solar powered borehole is only providing drips of water necessitating most residents to seek drinking water from streams. Our two public primary schools and healthcare facility are currently inadequate and may be unsafe, especially with the coronavirus pandemic that Kaduna state is still counting cases”. He confirmed that those who can farm, have been provided land to start over again; there is still the worry however, for those who are unable to farm due t
1 comment
Read more

Kaduna COVID-19 Lockdown, People Living with Disabilities and Inclusion

Chairman JONAPWD, Abdulaziz Suleiman , (Right) and a colleague (Middle) in a chat with CALPED's Yusuf Goje By SMITH WAYA Before the index case of Corona virus (Covid-19) in Nigeria, the Kaduna state government held a public hearing on the proposed  Kaduna state social protection policy, in line with the administration's slogan of putting the people first. The Joint National Associations of Person with Disability(JONAPWD), Kaduna chapter, as the umbrella body for people living disabilities in the State, were invited to present a position paper on their expectations of the new policy. The Disability Community took advantage of the town-hall meeting to appeal to the state government to work assiduously towards reducing poverty and hunger in their household. The Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, assured them of the state government's commitment in ensuring that no one is left behind especially people living with disabilities. Incidently, as the State governm
2 comments
Read more