NGO commends Kwara govt on health budget

A non-government organisation in Kwara State, Grassroots Development and Advocacy Centre, has commended the state government on the proposed 19 per cent budget allocation for the health sector of the N135.26 billion budget for 2017.

It will be recalled that Governor Abdul-fatah Ahmed, in the breakdown of the budget presented to the state House of Assembly last week, said that N26.4 billion was allocated to the health sector with over 80 per cent going into capital allocation for the sector.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in Ilorin on Wednesday, the executive director of the centre, Mr. Tunde Salman, said that the allocation was a welcome development, adding that it would go a long way to improve the quality of healthcare services if the budget was passed into law.

Mr. Salman also said that the N71 billion and N57 billion meant for both capital and recurrent expenditure respectively showed the state government’s commitment to the socio-economic development of the state.

“The budget is premised on four key objectives and the policy thrust of expanding internal revenue base of the state, which are to reduce overdependence on federal allocation, block leakages in the system through sustenance of Treasury Single Account (TSA), reduce cost of governance, ensure job creation and inclusive growth through diversification of the economy, completion of ongoing projects as well as infrastructural development,” he said.

However, the group decried the non-implementation of the state budgeting process.

“There is no evidence of consultation with various stakeholders like the civil societies. It must be stressed that budget is a public document that must be made accessible to the citizenry who will make useful contributions on decisions affecting their lives,” he said.

The group, therefore, called on the state government to make the budget process open and participatory in order to guarantee greater transparency and accountability in the management of state resources.