ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU INUWA YAHAYA, GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE AT THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2021 BUDGET TO THE GOMBE STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, HELD ON 3rd DECEMBER, 2020
Protocol
It is with gratitude to Almighty Allah that I stand before this Honourable House to present the 2021 budget proposal for deliberation and passage into law in accordance with section 121, subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
2. Let me use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to the Honourable House for your continuous support towards the successful implementation of the 2020 budget in the face of unprecedented economic and social challenges. As you are all aware, the 2020 fiscal year is a challenging one. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent fall in global oil prices put undue pressure on our ability to meet the developmental needs of our people. In spite of that, we remained committed to providing the needed dividends of democracy to the people of Gombe State.
REVIEW OF THE 2020 BUDGET
3. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen and Gentlemen of the Press, for the 2020 fiscal year, the administration budgeted a total of One Hundred and Thirty Billion, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Eight Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-Three Naira Forty-Eight Kobo (N130,828,737,593.48). This was made up of Fifty-Nine Billion, Seven Hundred and Eighty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, Nine Hundred Naira (N59,781,783,900.00) for the recurrent budget and Seventy-One Billion, Forty-Six Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety-Three Naira Forty-Eight Kobo (N71,046,953,693.48) for the capital budget to be financed by a recurrent revenue of Eighty-Two Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-Five Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand Naira (N82,565,595,000.00) and capital receipts of Seventy-Four Billion, Four Hundred and Eighty-Three Million, Eight Hundred and Eleven Thousand One Hundred Naira (N74,483,811,100.00) with a positive closing balance of Five Billion, Four Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred and Six Naira Fifty-Two Kobo (N5,436,857,406.52).
4. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, barely three months into the implementation of the 2020 budget, the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on the economies worldwide for which Nigeria and Gombe State were not exceptions. This necessitated the review of the 2020 budget size to One Hundred and Seven Billion, Six Hundred and Nine Million, Three Hundred and Eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-Three Naira, Forty-Eight Kobo (N107,609,308,593.48) with Fifty Billion, Six Hundred and Fifty-Two Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Nine Thousand, One Hundred Naira (N50,652,699,100.00) as the revised recurrent budget and Fifty-Six Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Ninety-Three Naira, Forty Eight Kobo (N56,956,609,493.48) for the capital budget. Our expected revised recurrent revenue was Sixty Billion, Seven Hundred and Eighteen Million, One Hundred and Forty-Three Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Naira (N60,718,143,850.00) and expected capital receipts of Fifty Eight Billion,
One Hundred and Twenty-Two Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira (N58,122,944,750.00) giving a revised positive closing balance of One Billion, One Hundred and Sixty-Six Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira, Fifty-Two Kobo (N1,166,335,256.52). However, during the year, there are expenditures that were not anticipated but became necessary and in public interest, Government submitted a General Virement to the Honourable House without increasing or decreasing the size of the approved revised 2020 budget.
5. Hon. House, as at 31stOctober, 2020, the sum of Fifty Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Three Million, Seventy-Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Five Naira, Twelve Kobo (N50,573,079,425.12) was generated as recurrent revenue representing 83.29% performance. The recurrent expenditure performance as at 31stOctober, 2020 stood at Thirty-Nine Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Forty-One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty-Three Naira, Nine-Eight Kobo (N39,369,741,723.98) representing 71.27% performance. The capital receipts performance as at 31stOctober, 2020 was Forty-Four Billion, Ninety Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight Naira, Twelve Kobo (N44,090,274,278.12) representing 82.35% performance and a capital expenditure of Twenty-Six Billion, One and Ninety-Two Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-Six Naira, One Kobo (N26,192,376,166.01) representing 50.01% performance. The total budget performance as at 31stOctober, 2020 was 62.01%. The components of the 2020 budget performance are as detailed below: –
(A) Recurrent Revenue:
The revised 2020 recurrent revenue estimate was Sixty Billion, Seven Hundred and Eleven Million, Thirteen Thousand, Eight-Hundred and Fifty Naira (N60,711,013,850.00). This was expected to be accrued from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Statutory Allocation, Value Added Tax (VAT), Budget Augmentation, Exchange Rates Gains, NNPC Refund, Ecological Fund, Non-oil Excess Revenue, Excess Crude/Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Stabilization Fund, Share of Solid Minerals and Refund of Over deductions on First Line Charge. As at 31st October, 2020, the component recurrent revenue performance was: –
(i) Internally Generated Revenue
Estimate – N10,811,013,850.00
Actual – N 7,522,581,854.91
% performance – 69.58%
(ii) Statutory Allocation
Estimate – N29,000,000,000.00
Actual – N27,429,018,928.88
% performance – 94.58%
(iii) Share of Value Added Tax
Estimate – N11,500,000,000.00
Actual – N10,826,741,799.04
% performance – 94.14%
(iv) Budget Augmentation
Estimate – N200,000,000.00
Actual – Nil
% performance – 0.00%
(v) Exchange Rate Gain
Estimate – N1,200,000,000.00
Actual – N1,065,037,312.95
% performance – 88.75%
(vi) NNPC Refunds
Estimate – N200,000,000.00
Actual – Nil
% performance – 0.00%
(vii) Ecological Fund
Estimate – N100,000,000.00
Actual – Nil
% performance – 0.00%
(viii) Non-Oil Excess Revenue
Estimate – N500,000,000.00
Actual – N298,667,266.83
% performance – 59.73%
(ix) Excess Crude/Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT)
Estimate – N900,000,000.00
Actual – N690,020,942.13
% performance – 76.66%
(x) Stabilization Fund
Estimate – N100,000,000.00
Actual – N 86,613,507.38
% performance – 86.61%
(xi) Share of Solid Minerals
Estimate – N200,000,000.00
Actual – N 78,470,411.56
% performance – 39.23%
(xii) Other Recurrent Receipts
Estimate – N6,000,000,000.00
Actual – N2,571,375,668.60
% performance – 42.85%
(B) Recurrent Expenditure
As at 31st October, 2020, our recurrent expenditure stood at Thirty-Nine Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Forty-One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty-Three Naira, Ninety-Eight Kobo (N39,369,741,723.98), out of the revised recurrent expenditure budget of Fifty Billion, Six Hundred and Fifty-Two Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Seven Thousand, One Hundred Naira (N50,652,697,100.00) representing 71.27% performance. This was used for the payments of personnel and overhead costs, pension and gratuity, statutory offices salaries and public debt charges. The breakdown of the recurrent expenditure is as follows: –
(i) Personnel Cost:
Estimate – N20,504,173,100.00
Actual – N15,385,260,314.06
% performance – 75.03%
(ii) Overhead Cost
Estimate – N14,746,626,000.00
Actual – N 7,096,626,556.28
% performance – 48.12%
(iii) Pension and Gratuity
Estimate – N4,078,800,000.00
Actual – N3,254,198,262.75
% performance – 79.78%
(iv) Statutory Officers’ Salaries
Estimate – N137,100,000.00
Actual – N 87,850,857.52
% performance – 64.07%
(v) Public Debt Charges
Estimate – N15,771,000,000.00
Actual – N13,545,805,733.37
% performance – 85.89%
(C) Capital Receipts
The revised 2020 capital receipts budget for the implementation of the capital budget was Fifty-Three Billion,
Five Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, One Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira (N53,538,144,750.00). The sources of the capital receipts are from our Opening Balance, Internal and External Loans, Transfer from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), Aids and Grants and other capital receipts. As at 31st October, 2020, the capital receipts realized stood at Forty-Six Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty-Three Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-Nine Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Six Naira Fourteen Kobo (N46,323,439,776.14) representing 85.46% of the capital receipts budget. The breakdown of the performance is as follows: –
(i) Opening Balance
Estimate – N12,207,500,000.00
Actual – N12,207,672,111.97
% performance – 100.02%
(ii) Internal Loans
Estimate – N11,900,000,000.00
Actual – N 9,900,000,000.00
% performance – 83.19%
(iii) External Loans
Estimate – N7,200,000,000.00
Actual – N2,992,430,348.35
% performance – 41.56%
(iv) Transfer from CRF to the
Capital Dev. Fund
Estimate – N 5,480,644,750.00
Actual – N11,198,785,968.30
% performance – 204.33%
(v) Aids and Grants
Estimate – N12,250,000,000.00
Actual – N 7,386,385,849.50
% performance – 60.29%
(vi) Other Capital Receipts
Estimate – N4,500,000,000.00
Actual – N 405,000,000.00
% performance – 9.00%
D) Capital Expenditure
The revised capital expenditure budget for the 2020 fiscal year was Fifty-Two Billion, Three Hundred and Seventy-One Million, Six Hundred Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Ninety-Three Naira, Forty-Eight Kobo (N52,371,609,493.48). This amount was earmarked for the implementation of capital projects in the Economic, Social, General Administration and Law and Justice sectors. As at 31st October, 2020, the sum of Twenty-Six Billion, Fifty-Nine Million, Three Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Four Naira, Ninety-Two Kobo (N26,192,376,166.01) was expended on our capital projects/programmes representing 50.01% of the capital budget. The breakdown is as follows: –
(i) Economic Sector
Estimate – N26,262,795,100.00
Actual – N14,350,438,723.18
% performance – 54.64%
(ii) Social Sector
Estimate – N21,414,674,393.48
Actual – N10,932,273,692.83
% performance – 51.05%
(iii) General Administration
Estimate – N3,988,520,000.00
Actual – N 841,480,550.00
% performance – 21.09%
(iv) Law and Justice
Estimate – N705,620,000.00
Actual – N 68,183,200.00
% performance – 9.66%
I wish to assure you all that within available resources, we are committed to the implementation of our capital projects/programmes and this performance will be much higher by the end of the fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, Hon members, our N500m cash palliative for 50,000 vulnerable low-income earners will be launched in the coming days to enable our people begin rebuilding their businesses and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
THE 2021 BUDGET
6. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the challenging experiences we went through in the 2020 fiscal year will be used to sharpen our vision for the 2021 fiscal year and beyond. As we are all aware, the art of nation building is a collective responsibility, I therefore want to call on all of us to rededicate ourselves to the service of Gombe State as nobody will come and develop the State for us, other than ourselves. In coming up with this budget, we have set up various consultative processes involving various stakeholders. The 2021 Budget is therefore prepared with the useful inputs gathered from the people of Gombe state, the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Ten-Year Development Plan (2020 – 2030).
7. Distinguished audience, considering the enormous development challenges Gombe state is facing in all sectors – Economic, Social, General Administration, Law and Justice, the focus of the administration in the 2021 fiscal year are, but not limited to the following areas: –
(a) Deepening the provision of physical infrastructure;
(b) Investing in human capital development;
(c). Enhancing investment in education;
(d) Strengthening and implementing social protection policies for vulnerable groups, poverty reduction and job creation for our youth;
(e) Promoting development partnership and trust;
(f) Strengthening our healthcare system through the renovation, remodeling, construction and equipping of our healthcare facilities, the provision of skilled human resources and the implementation of universal health coverage through the recently established state health insurance agency;
(g) Solidifying our investment in agriculture;
(h) Strengthening our rural and urban transformation initiatives;
(i) Promoting the Ease of Doing Business in Gombe State;
(j) Enhancing internal revenue performance;
(k) Entrenching fiscal responsibility and transparency;
(l) Strengthening of the State Security architecture for peace and stability;
(m) Consolidating the gains achieved in our public and financial sector reforms; and
Addressing environmental challenges including climate change.8. At this juncture, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, to continue to meet the needs of our people, within available resources and to realize our aspirations, the sum of One Hundred and Nineteen Billion, Six Hundred and Sixty-Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Naira (N119,663,856,636.00) is envisaged to be expended during the 2021 fiscal year. The 2021 budget proposal is made up of Fifty-Seven Billion, Six Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, Three Hundred and One Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty-Six, Naira (N57,635,301,626.00) for recurrent expenditure, which is 48.2% of the 2021 budget, and Sixty-two Billion, Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand Naira (N62,028,555.000.00) as the capital budget representing 51.8%. This is to be financed by an estimated recurrent revenue of Seventy-Five Billion, Two hundred and Ninety-Three Million, One Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand Naira (N75,293,163,000.00) and capital receipts of Sixty-Two Billion, Four Hundred and Fifty Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy-Four Naira (N62,457,861,374.00) The closing balance for the 2021 fiscal year is Four Hundred and Twenty-Nine Million, Three Hundred and Six Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty-Four Naira (N429,306,374.00).
(A) Recurrent Revenue Receipts.
For the 2021 fiscal year, the total sum of Seventy-Five Billion, Two Hundred and Ninety-Three Million, One Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand Naira (N75,293,163,000.00) is estimated to be generated from the following sources: –
(i) Internally Generated Revenue – N13,093,163,000.00
(ii) Statutory Allocation – N39,000,000,000.00
(iii) Share of Excess Crude and
Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) – N 600,000,000.00
(iv) Value Added Tax (VAT) – N 12,000,000,000.00
(v) Ecological Fund – N 600,000,000.00
(vi) Non-Oil Excess Revenue – N 500,000,000.00
(vii) Grants and Miscellaneous Receipts – N7,000,000,000.00
(viii) Stabilization Fund – N 600,000,000.00
(ix) Exchange Rate Gain – N1,000,000,000.00
(x) Budget Augmentation – N 500,000,000.00
(xi) Share of Solid Minerals – N 500,000,000.00
(B) Recurrent Expenditure:
The recurrent expenditure estimate for the 2021 fiscal year is Fifty-Seven Billion, Six Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, Three Hundred and One Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty-Six Naira (N57,635,301,626.00) to provide for the following:
(i) Personnel Cost – N22,713,005,526.00
(ii) Overhead Cost – N15,812,845,900.00
(iii) Pension and Gratuity – N 4,155,200,000.00
(iv) Statutory Officers’ Salaries – N 168,250,200.00
(v) Public Debt Charges – N14,786,000,000.00
(C) Capital Receipts:
The estimated capital receipts for the financing of the capital budget in the 2021 fiscal year is Sixty-Two Billion, Four Hundred and Fifty-Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy-Four Naira (N62,457,861,374.00) The envisaged sources of the capital receipts are: –
(i) Opening Balance – N13,000,000,000.00
(ii) Transfer from Consolidated Revenue
Fund – N17,657,861,374.00
(iii) Local Government Contribution to
Joint Projects – N5,000,000,000.00
(iv) Domestic Grants (UBE, SDGs TETFund,
SFTAS) – N12,900,000,000.00
(v) External Grants from Bilateral and
Multilateral Agencies – N6,400,000,000.00
(vi) Internal Loans – N3,500,000,000.00
(vii) External Loans – N4,000,000,000.00
(D) Capital Expenditure:
The capital expenditure estimate for the 2021 fiscal year is Sixty-Two Billion, Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand, Naira (N62,028,555,000.00) for the Implementation of capital projects in the economic, Social and General Administration and Law and Justice sectors. The sectoral allocations are as follows: –
(i) Economic Sector – N35,852,615,000.00
(ii) Social Sector – N20,983,500,010.00
(iii) General Administration – N 3,821,020,000.00
(iv) Law and Justice – N 1,371,420,000.00
THE 2021 SECTORAL FOCUS
9. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, while presenting the 2020 budget to this Honourable House, I stated clearly that the target of this administration is to restore the confidence of the people of Gombe state in Government and to put the state on a sustainable and inclusive development path. Though faced with the critical challenges brought about by the COVID-19 that affected economies worldwide for which Gombe State is one and other socio-economic challenges, we remained committed and unshaken in implementing projects/programmes that touch the lives of the people of Gombe State. The administration ensured this resolve through our interventions in the Education, Health, Water, Agriculture, Environment, Power Supply and Good Governance. Other areas of development focus as captured in the 2021 Budget include Rural and Urban Development, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Environment and Forestry, Science Technology and Innovation, Law and Justice as well as the strengthening of Internal Security.
ECONOMIC SECTOR
10. Honourable House, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the outcome of investments in the Economic sector provides the launch pad for the other sectors activities. The economic sector projects/programmes stimulate growth and development of the State. In the 2021 fiscal year, this administration will continue to accord the sector the desired attention within available resources. Our desire to establish the first industrial park in the North east is on course and will be achieved in the year 2021 in sha Allah.
(i) Agriculture and Livestock:
11. Agriculture and Livestock production being the mainstay of the State economy and engaging about 80% of the people of the State is one of the priority areas of this administration, while acknowledging the role of this critical sub-sector in providing food security, employment opportunities and increasing incomes of families, we accorded it the needed attention in the 2020 fiscal year. In 2020, we procured and distributed over 20,000 metric tons of fertilizer to all the 114 wards in the State at a subsidized rate of N5,000.00 per bag, provided 19,500 bags of improved seedlings to dry season farmers, built two (2) Agricultural Research Centres in two (2) LGAs with support from Global Environmental Facility, UNDP and the Federal Government of Nigeria, established Farm Demonstration and Technology Adoption plots for training of farmers on modern farming techniques in addition to the allocation of 23,000 hectres of land for irrigation farming at Dadinkowa. For the livestock development, the administrations embarked on a statewide livestock vaccination campaign of over 1.5 million livestock aimed at improving the health of livestock and increase the yield of its products. The State has also keyed into the National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP) and allocated the Wawa Zange Grazing Reserve for piloting the programme in the State.
12. To further boost agricultural activities in the State, and generate more revenue, plans are ongoing to build an Agriculture Investment Park and an Export Processing Zone in Gombe State as well as large scale irrigation project along the major dams of Dadinkowa, Balanga and Cham. The State has also keyed into the World Bank Assisted Agro Processing, productivity enhancement and support programme which will significantly improve the capacity of our farmers and agro-processors to scale up their operations along the agricultural value chain. In addition, we secured the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the implementation of the Rapid Rural Resilience Project Implementation through the Mercy Corp with Gombe as its regional Headquarters for the project.
13. In the 2021 fiscal year, the administration will continue to provide the enabling environment for the people of the State to strengthen their engagement in agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry has step up the provision of technical support to our farmers. In order to have a clear direction for the agricultural sector intervention in line with our aspirations for the Ten-Year State Development Plan (2020 – 2030), I gave approval for the preparation of an Agricultural Policy. Already, a Committee comprising of the relevant stakeholders have been put in place for the drafting of the policy. The overall objective is to leverage on our comparative advantage in agriculture in order to boost agricultural production in the State and to attract investors in the agriculture value chain business. For the 2021 fiscal year, the sum of Two Billion, Four Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,482,100,000.00) Is earmarked for the Agriculture and Livestock sub-sector.
(ii) Rural, Community Development and Cooperatives
14. Hon. House, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, with 80% of our people living in the rural areas, this administration is not unmindful of the challenges they face especially in the areas of access roads, water, electricity, healthcare and educational facilities. The findings of the Community Needs Assessment conducted at the inception of this administration revealed the depth of neglect of the rural areas. This informed our administrations resolve to construct 100 kilometers of road in the 11 local government areas under the Network 11-100road project. This project is intended to open up the rural areas and provide a corridor for evacuation of agricultural produce and increase economic activity. To further deepen the process, we pursued with vigour and got the participation of Gombe State in the World Bank Assisted Rural Access and Mobility Project, and the Rural Access and Agriculture Marketing project all aimed at linking up the rural communities and open up opportunities across all segments of socio-economic activities. By doing so, the people of Gombe State will have numerous impacts on transport, trade and their livelihoods.
15. In addressing the rural development challenges, we are implementing an integrated approach through development partnerships with our Development Partners especially with UNICEF, UNDP, UNIDO, the World Bank, African Development Bank, National and International NGOs and Foundations through instruments such as RUWASSA, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and many other channels of collaboration. The administration has also encouraged the formation of Cooperative Societies and Groups that would facilitate accessing funds from financial institutions and our interventions.
16. To further deepen our rural development drive, the Budget, Planning and Development Partner Coordination Office and the Ministry of Rural Community Development and Cooperatives have been directed to update the Community Needs Assessment we conducted earlier to enable us track our progress and to step-up its development assistance drive of sourcing finance and resources for the rural areas. For the Fiscal year, the sum of Two Billion, Seventy-Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,074,500,000.00) is proposed for the implementation of the Rural, Community Development and Cooperative sub-sector aside other interventions in the Education, Health and Transport sectors that are targeted to our rural areas.
(iii) Trade, Industry and Tourism
17. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the history of the people of Gombe State in commerce cannot be overemphasized. This is in addition to its strategic location in the North East sub-region and its potentials. This administration is resolutely committed to maintaining this position and determined to boost commercial activities in the State. Some of the attractions for commerce in the state are; the enterprising spirit of the people, the relative peace and security of the State, the availability of the resources for commerce and the ease of doing business for which Gombe State is ranked high in the country as well as the availability of financial institutions and access to funds for commercial activities. We shall therefore continue to provide the enabling environment for commercial activities to strive and grow.
18. On industrial development, Gombe State has huge potentials for mega industrial activities, given our abundant natural and mineral resources. It is in this regards that we are currently working with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to develop an industrial policy for the State being the first in history. As part of our efforts to expand the frontiers of industrialization of the State, UNIDO is further supporting the State in repurposing the Balanga Dam to a mini-hydro power generating facility with a view to developing an agro-processing value chain for which we have a huge comparative advantage
19. To demonstrate our commitment, this administration has set aside a 1000 hectres of land for use as industrial park situated at Dadinkowa, the home of the 40MW hydroelectric power and the Dadinkowa dam. We have also keyed into the various Federal Governments programmes on rice and cotton revival with a view to repositioning the State to take advantage of the investment opportunities in the agricultural sector; in addition to being one of the States to benefit from the African Development Bank (AfDB) funded special Agro processing Zone to be located along the same axis as the industrial park. To further attract investors to the State, fiscal incentives for private investors will be provided in addition to the requisite infrastructural support.
20. For Tourism activities in the State, the administration inherited a neglected but high revenue generation sub-sector. We are therefore determined to reinvigorate this sub-sector to attract tourists to the State. As part of our efforts we have embarked on the renovation of the neglected Gombe State Hotels within the State and across the country. It is in this regards that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism and the Gombe State Enterprises Development Agency were directed to ensure the realization of our aspirations for the sub-sector. These Agencies are to also come up with strategies for encouraging public-private sector partnership and derive its operations from the Gombe state Ten-Year Development Plan (2020 – 2030). For the 2021 fiscal year, the sum of Two Billion, One Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Naira (N2,127,000,000.00) is proposed for investment in the sub-sector.
WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
21. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, upon assumption of office in May, 2019, we met the disturbing challenge of the unavailability and inadequacy of physical infrastructure, while the existing ones were dilapidated. Many of the road projects were abandoned, the hardest hit by the non-availability of access roads were the rural areas. This informed our immediate action in remobilizing and paying the contractors handling these abandoned road projects to get back to work. We invested huge sums of our collective funds for them to continue work on ten (10) abandoned roads. I am pleased to state here that work is ongoing on these projects and are at various levels of completion.
22. The Hon. House will recall that we came up with the policy of Network 11-100 road construction programme by which we intend to construct 100km of roads in each of the 11 LGAs. The ongoing road construction works within the State are part of the implementation of the policy. Within available resources, we shall continue to connect our people with access roads in the 2021 fiscal year.
23. To deepen the provision of these infrastructure, we secured the assistance of the World Bank under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project for the financing of rural roads in the State. In line with these initiatives, I gave approval for the preparation of a 30-Year Gombe State Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (GSIIP). The plan will map out our rural and urban infrastructure stock, the gaps and an implementation strategy that will continue to guide our actions. I have therefore directed all the relevant agencies to ensure the realization of this plan. As we provide the roads infrastructure, so are we remodeling our transportation system for the seamless movement of humans and goods. The Gombe State Transport Service (Gombe Line) was provided with fifty (50) units of new buses, in addition to refurbishing sixteen (16). We also intend to increase the fleet by the purchase of another 50 units in 2021. This will significantly improve their services and availability to the people of the State and indeed all Nigerians across the country.
24. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, while we are committed to completing the abandoned road projects we inherited, we shall continue with vigour and within available resources complete the ones we started and embark on new ones in critical locations in the State. In this regard, the sum of Twelve Billion, Eight Hundred and Ninety Million Naira (N12,890,000,000.00) is earmarked for investment in roads infrastructure in the 2021 fiscal year.
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
25. Hon. House, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, with the strategic location of Gombe State in the North East region, we are taking deliberate actions to ensure the implementation of our housing and urban development programmes. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Gombe State Urban Development Board are working to ensure orderly construction of houses, offices (official and private), clearing of illegal structures, ensuring adherence to building codes and standards. This is to avoid the chaotic building situation we met. To also guide our urban development programmes, I signed the Executive order where a radius of 20, 15, 10 kilometers of designated urban, local Government and semi-urban towns are designated for development under the control of the State. This order is intended to facilitate proper urban planning and development control enforcement within the State.
26. At this juncture, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to request our people to cooperate with all Agencies of Government in ensuring the implementation of our housing and urban development programmes. May we note that correcting the present chaotic situation may be painful, but the outcome is for the benefit of all of us. For the 2021 fiscal year, the sum of Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Five Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira(N3,925,500,000.00) is earmarked for investment in the Housing and Urban Development sub-sector.
LAND AND SURVEY
27. For the Housing and Urban development programmes to be implemented, the Ministry of Land and Survey are upgrading its land administration and management system and process. Strengthening this system will provide for an orderly and coordinated pattern. I therefore urge the Ministry of Land and Survey to ensure a seamless land administration and management in the State. The established Gombe State Geographical Information System (GOGIS) should also ensure that their operations contribute to the ease of land administration and management. To facilitate the operations of the Land and Survey Ministry, the sum of Two Billion, Nineteen Million Naira (N2,019,000,000.00) is allocated for the 2021 fiscal year.
WATER RESOURCES
28. One of the challenges the administration met upon assumption of office was the non-availability of portable water and the management of our abundant water resources. As we are all aware, water is critical for socio economic development, healthy ecosystem and for human survival. The administration noted the underutilization of the Gombe Regional Water project that is to supply water to Gombe and its environs. Other challenges we met was the very little use of our dams that were supposed to be used for agricultural and fishing activities, in addition to the generation of electricity.
29. To address these challenges, at the inception of this administration, a Task Force was set-up to immediately restore water supply from the Dadinkowa water treatment plant to Gombe metropolis and its environs. Other actions the administration took was the extension of water reticulation to Wuro Juli, Tabra, Nayinawa, GGSS Doma, Kanoyel, Bye-pass and some parts of Federal Low-Cost communities within Gombe metropolis. We also undertook rehabilitation of 120 hand pump boreholes, 30 solar powered boreholes in rural areas in Akko, Balanga and Dukku LGAs, strengthened the activities of the Gombe State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation and the Ministry of Rural Development to undertake aggressive rural water provision and rehabilitation of hand pumps. Other actions taken was the payment of outstanding liabilities and remobilization of the Pindiga water augmentation project, studying the Dukku and Gombe South regional water supply initiatives to enable us came up with strategies for the realization of the projects. The administration is also studying on how to effectively utilize the bodies of water in our dams and along river banks for agricultural, fishing and other uses. The Ministry of Water Resource and the Gombe State Water Board are to come up with workable strategies for the realization of our aspirations for the utilization of our water resources. For the Water sub-sector, the sum of Four Billion, Eight Hundred and One Million, Five Hundred and Fifteen Thousand Naira (N4,801,515,000.00) is proposed for investment in the 2021 fiscal year.
ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY
30. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, environmental challenges and climate change have become a global issue. As we all know, all human and development actions take place in the environment. Mindful of this challenge in the areas of environmental sanitation, waste management, environmental pollution, flooding, soil erosion, desertification, climate change and the management of the environment itself, the administration is poised towards addressing them. This made the administration to embark on the Gombe Goes Green (3Gs) project that will cover the whole State. We are also tenaciously implementing the World Bank Assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) for which this administration paid Five Hundred Million Naira (N500,000,000.00) as counterpart fund to enable us access this World Bank fund. Furthermore, we have established nurseries in five (5) LGAs and raised 1.2Million assorted seedlings that were planted during the 2020 rainy season. In the same vein, Government established a 100 hectres of woodlot plantations across five (5) desert prone LGAs to combat desertification and land degradation.
31. To continue to tackle the environmental challenges, this administration will come up with deliberate policies and programmes to address the issues enumerated above. This is in addition to preparing an Environmental Protection Master Plan that will guide our actions. I am aware that the Ten-Year Development Plan (2020 – 2030) being prepared devoted a pillar in the plan for addressing environmental challenges. We shall come up with relevant Environmental Sanitation Laws to guide our actions, while strengthening the operations of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Environmental Protection Agency to be able to address these challenges. For the 2021 fiscal year, the sum of Three Billion, Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira(N3,228,500,000.00.) is earmarked for investment in the Environmental and Forestry sub-sector.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
32. Science, technology and innovation sector has abundant potentials for job creation for which most of our youths are engaged thereby mopping up the youths from the streets. The Ministry has the responsibility of repositioning the State in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and promoting innovations in the State. With our commitment towards promoting science, technology and innovation in the State that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is urged to step up its efforts towards realizing our full potentials. The sum of Three Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million Naira (N377,000,000.00) is earmarked for the operations of the Ministry in the 2021 fiscal year.
SOCIAL SECTOR
33. To achieve our development objectives, it is imperative that we invest in our people through human capital development. This means improving access to good and affordable healthcare, nutrition, education, and foster social inclusion for all our people. We are therefore poised to improve the disturbing statistics of infant mortality, life expectancy, illiteracy and unemployment.
EDUCATION
34. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all aware of the challenges we met when we assumed office in the Education sector. We are determined to ensure quality universal education for Gombe State children and youths through improvement in teacher quality, strengthening quality assurance, increase investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), improve funding mechanism for facilities and infrastructure development and a conscious effort at promoting girl-child education and reducing the menace of out of school children.
35. We have taken bold steps to address these challenges by declaring a state of emergency in education. Some of the actions we took and are ongoing are to bridge the infrastructural gaps in our schools by building 234 new additional classrooms across 80 schools, renovated 190 classrooms in 47 schools. We have also established a state-of-the-art Teacher Resource Centre at Kwami for training and retraining of Teachers to meet the demands of modern teaching profession. We are also addressing the high prevalence of out of school children through Better Education and Service Delivery for All (BESDA) Projects for which more than 300,000 children were mopped up and enrolled back to school, paid counterpart funds that enabled the State access the UBEC grant that we are using to undertake the massive constructions and renovations works in our primary and secondary schools as well as attract support from Corporate organizations and Development Partners. In order to address the huge gap in teacher availability, we are recruiting 1,000 in the first instance and a total of 2,413 qualified teachers to be deployed to our junior and senior secondary schools with a view to achieving a teacher to pupil ratio of 1 – 40. We will also begin the upgrading of 5 secondary schools to model science secondary schools.
36. We shall not falter in our drive towards making a turnaround in the education sector. It is in this regards that the sum of Six Billion, Three Hundred and Forty-Eight Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N6,348,400,000.00) is allocated for investment in education in the 2021 fiscal year.
HIGHER EDUCATION
37. With the pragmatic turnaround efforts being made in primary and secondary education, our objective is to produce the needed and qualified students that will gain admission into the tertiary institutions in the State and other institutions across the country. We shall continue to accord the tertiary institutions the needed attention through adequate funding, the availability of quality teaching staff, provision of physical infrastructure and facilities and making sure we continue to access the TETFUND grants. The report of the committee set up to review the establishment of higher institutions in the State will further guide the administration in strengthening our tertiary educational institutions in the State. To achieve this, the sum of Three Billion, Five Hundred and Ninety-Two Million Naira (N3,592,000,000.00) has been earmarked for investment in the Higher Education sub-sector in the 2021 fiscal year.
HEALTH
38. There is no gainsaying that the health system we inherited does not provide the level of services required to meet the needs of the people of the State. It is in view of the situation we met that we have taken deliberate actions to improve the availability, accessibility, affordability and quality of healthcare services, and provide regular funding.
39. As part of our efforts towards addressing these challenges in the health sector, we also declared a state of emergency in this sector. We embarked on aggressive revitalization of primary healthcare facilities with the aim of providing at least one functional primary healthcare centre in each of the 114 wards of the State. This feat has been achieved in the year 2020. We also thoroughly renovated and upgraded the State Specialist Hospital, thereby expanding its capacity to meet the increasing demand for normal and specialized healthcare services for our growing population. To meet the rising need for improved human resources for healthcare, we are providing the needed attention to our healthcare institutions in the State – The College of Nursing and Midwifery and the College of Health Technology, providing the enabling environment for our medical and health courses students to pursue their studies, as well as completed the Internship quarters in the Specialist Hospital that has been abandoned for over 20 years thereby meeting one of the key requirements for internship training of our young Doctors and other healthcare personnel requiring internship. In conjunction, with this Honourable House, we have enacted enabling laws for instituting the contributory healthcare programme aimed at reducing out of pocket expenditure for healthcare services and providing risk protection to the people and the establishment of the Hospitals Management Board.
40. On the COVID-19 pandemic that brought about unprecedented economic and public health challenges globally, the administration responded quite early by improving the level of preparedness of our health system including setting up and equipping of isolation and treatment centres. It is worthy of note that Gombe State has one of the highest recovery rates and the lowest death rate from COVID-19 in the country. In order to cushion the economic hardship brought about by the pandemic, we set up a palliative program that delivered palliative support to about 400,000 individuals across 67,000 households. We are also working with the World Bank to facilitate the State’s participation in the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (N-CARES) project that will support our post COVID-19 recovery efforts.
41. At this juncture, let me use this medium to thank the Federal Government, Development Partners, Foundations, the private sector and individuals for their continued support in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic and other healthcare challenges. Special appreciation goes to our healthcare personnel for being steadfast in their services despite the attendant risk they took. On our part, we shall continue to provide the enabling environment for fruitful partnership and the work of our healthcare personnel. In our continued effort of improving and ensuring quality access to healthcare services in the state, the sum of Five Billion, Five Hundred and Forty-Nine Million Naira (N5,549,000,000.00) is allocated for the Health sector in the 2021 fiscal year.
YOUTH AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
42. Honourable House, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the challenge of youth restiveness is an issue that requires deliberate and urgent attention. Government is mindful of the growing unemployment among this category of our population and the worsening poverty situation. To this end, we are determined to boost job creation and improve employability by closing the skills gap. We shall also undertake skills training using our skills centres, encouraging and leveraging on development partnerships that addresses the needs of the youths.
43. On sports development, the administration will continue to encourage our youths and provide the enabling environment for their engagement in sports. We shall also encourage private sector investment in the sporting sub-sector. The Ministry of Youths and Sports Development shall continue with its talents hunt schemes and come up with workable plans towards strengthening the sporting sector. For its operations in the 2021 fiscal year, the sum of One Billion, and Fifty-Five Million Naira (N1,055,000,000.00) is earmarked for investment in Youth and Sports sub-sector.
INFORMATION AND CULTURE
44. The role of information in the development process cannot be overemphasized. The administration has continued to provide the enabling environment for the operations of government and private media outfits. In the 2021 fiscal year, the sum of Six Hundred and Forty-One Million Naira (N641,000,000.00) is earmarked for the Ministry of Information and Culture.
WOMEN AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
45. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, our administration will continue to step up its efforts of ensuring social and financial inclusion of women, children, the physically challenged and the elderly. We are also mindful of the rising poverty, increasing inequality and rising unemployment that affect the welfare and living conditions of our women. It is in this regards that we initiated deliberate policies targeting women employment, women engagements in peace and security, and special focus on out-of-school children. We have reached advanced stage on domesticating the Child Rights Act and we are also engaging the Association for the physically challenged towards developing appropriate legislation that will combat discrimination and improve their living conditions. For the 2021 fiscal year, we earmarked the sum of Three Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N389,500,000.00) for investment on Women Affairs and Social Development.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CHIEFTANCY AFFAIRS
46. In order to reposition our local government administration, we have come up with institutional reforms aimed at strengthening our local government system. Some of these efforts include the establishment of the Local Government Economic Planning Bureau and the passing of the Joint Project Development Agency Law. These initiatives are intended to strengthen the operational base of the Local Governments in addition to their constitutional roles and responsibilities for the people.
47. While appreciating the roles of our Traditional and Religious Leaders in ensuring peaceful co-existence, the administration has also ensured smooth and seamless chieftaincy transitions in the State. We shall continue to work together for the socio-economic development of the people in the LGAs and the State. To continue with these efforts, the sum of One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million Naira (N138,000,000.00) is allocated for the Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs activities in the 2021 fiscal year.
INTERNAL SECURITY AND ETHICAL ORIENTATION
48. Our administration gives adequate priority to the security of lives and property of the people of our State. This is because no economy can develop in an insecure environment. The Ministry of Internal Security and Ethical Orientation was established to strengthen our resolve in this direction. We are therefore determined to continue to embark on comprehensive internal security actions of ensuring the safety and security of the people of the State, safeguarding critical infrastructures, supporting the operations of the security agencies in the State and improving social engagement of the youths in sports, civic and socio-economic activities to reduce juvenile delinquencies, drug abuse and opportunistic crimes.
49. While thanking the Almighty Allah (SWA) for the relative peace and security we enjoy in the State, we shall continue to support our security agencies and all relevant stakeholders in the maintenance of law and order in our communities. To continue with these efforts, the sum of Seven Hundred and Thirty Million Naira (N730,000,000.00) is allocated.
