Story Written By Aminu Dalhatu and Edited by Godwin Duru
Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC says it will not be deterred from asking relevant questions on how the state resources are being utilised by the current administration in the state.
The APC Publicity Secretary in Zamfara State, Alhaji Yusuf Idris Gusau who made this known in a statement said the party
does not in any way intend to trade words with the PDP government led by Dauda Lawal in the state over purchased of fertiliser.
He explained that as citizens, they have the right to ask questions on how the state resources are being utilized without mincing words.
“In the first place, the whole budgetary provision for the state Ministry of Agriculture and all its parastatals and institutions for this year is far below the N38.5 billion as it stood at N38.144 billion, thus, a deficit of N356,000,000 has occurred without explanation with recurrent expenditure being N1,569,000,000 and capital expenditure N36,575,000,000 as reflected below”.
“FASCOM Zamfara State Agriculture Supply Company N120,850,000”.
“Zamfara Agriculture Development Agency, ZADA N158,000,000”.
“Ministry Agriculture
Recurrent N742,350,000
Capital N36,575,000,000”.
“College of Agriculture, Animals science and Technology, Bakura N518,250,000”.
“Zamfara State IFAD-CAPS N9,500,000.
Second Livestock Development Project N20,050,000”
“Going by the PDP statement that the entire 2024 budgetary provision of the ministry is used in purchasing the item stated in their response, it means that the recurrent expenditure for the ministry and it’s parastatals which includes salaries, travels, office maintenance and other allowances has been consumed all in the capital expenditure”.
“So how are they paying staff of the ministry, meaning they are abusing or violating the 2024 appropriation bill which was duly approved and signed, this is a gross violation and abuse of office by the government”.
Alhaji Yusuf Gusau stressed that, the Zamfara State government should also enlighten people on what was the provision for food items and under which economic code or ministry as stated by the PDP since every expenditure comes with its economic code in compliance with budget provision.
“As citizens, we still want to know the contract sum of the fertilizer which you are yet to announce and the procedure of how the contract was awarded not just a mere passage by the executive council on such a huge deal”.
“We need to know the cost implications of each trailer or metric tones so that we know how much it cost Zamfara State government to purchase each bag of the fertilizer”.
“Similarly, if almost all the budgeted amount for agriculture for 2024 is sunk in the purchase of fertilizer and farm implements, does it mean that workers under the ministry will not get their salaries and allowances in the year, these are part of our concerns and whether you call it fake or genuine, just clearly address the concerns”.
Aminu Dalhatu
