Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko
Mohammed Aminu
Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, Monday signed the 2013 appropriation bill of N115 billion into law.
Speaking during the signing of the bill and three other bills at Government House Sokoto, Wamakko said with his assenting to the bill, ministries and departments were now responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the budget.
According to him, the onus lies on all public officials in their respective duty posts to ensure that the overall interests of the people of Sokoto are protected.
He noted that the three other bills which included Bills on Bureau of Public Procurement, Establishment of Statistical System and that of Fisheries, were centred on the pivot of public finance.
Wamakko pointed out that the bills would certainly ginger the implementation of the appropriation bill and ensure transparency in conducting government businesses.
“It however suffices to state that all the laws are geared towards enhancing probity, accountability and effective service delivery while consolidating the successes we have recorded in the last five years,” he said.
The governor announced that the state government would commence the implementation of the new wage package for imams, district and village heads this month.
Wamakko, therefore, lauded members of the state House of Assembly for their unflinching support to his administration in the last five years.
He expressed the determination of the present administration to work assiduously towards meeting the yearnings of the people.
Earlier, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Lawali Zayyana, said the Assembly passed the 2013 appropriation bill with slight amendments, with a view to addressing certain anomalies and move resources in wards in order to accommodate some exigencies that arose.
He maintained that despite the slight amendments made in the appropriation bill, the original figure remains the same as presented by the governor to the House last year.
Zayyana explained that the House also passed the bills on Public Procurement and Statistical System in pursuit of transparency, accountability and due process in the affairs of governance.
He stated that the statistical bill as passed by the House would empower the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to implement the new arrangement without creating separate administrative structure in the midst of scarce resources.
On the Bill on Fisheries, Zayyana said it will go a long way in improving economic well being of the state as well as regulate fishing activities in particular.
The Speaker assured the people of the state that the House would continue to compliment the state government by consistently conducting its oversight duties geared towards meeting the desired goals.