Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang on Thursday presented the 2013 budget to only seven out of the twenty four members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The other seventeen legislators were nowhere to be found, as they went into hiding following the fierce protests earlier held by local government workers at the House of Assembly complex.
The workers who had stormed the complex to block the planned presentation, were eventually chased out after many hours. Security operatives, it was learnt were forced to fire rubber bullets at them, as they did not leave after several warnings.
The civil servants led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which joined the stike on Tuesday, have been on strike for seven months over the non-implementation of the N18, 000 minimum wage.
In his speech during the presentation, the Governor said “Mr. Speaker, Hon. Members, the proposed 2013 budget which is christened, “Budget of Continuity and Inclusive growth III” has a total budget size of One Hundred and Thirty-three Billion, Four Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, One Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Three Naira only (N133,459,176,903.00),”
“This is made up of Forty-eight Billion, Three Hundred and Seventy Million, Three Hundred and Five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety Naira (N48,370,305,790.00) as Recurrent Expenditure and Eighty-Five Billion, Eighty-eight Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy-one Thousand, One Hundred and Thirteen Naira only (N85,088,871,113.00) as Capital Expenditure.”
“These estimates may appear ambitious, but we are positive that with our renewed vigour in internal revenue mobilisation and generation, prudent utilization of resources and commitment towards achieving our vision, we will achieve the targets set out in the budget,” Jang said
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