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.

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