As the people of Sokoto state await the 2021 budget, the state Commissioner for Finance, Abdussamad Dasuki has assured that it would be one of fortification against the vagaries of economic meltdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and other natural factors.
Dasuki who was among the Commissioners that briefed journalists after a three day marathon meeting of the state executive council on the adaptation of the 2021 budget and other fiscal probity bills that the council has passed and will submit to the state House of Assembly (SOHA) to pass it into law.
Describing the 2021 budget as a reinforcement of its predecessor, the Commissioner said it is “a realistic budget in the history of Sokoto state,” that will see solid consolidation in infrastructure development, being a people’s budget that arose out of wide consultation. “There will be huge infrastructure development,” he assured.
Recalling that 2020 was a year of challenges which the administration turned into a year of opportunity because of much of what was accomplished he said “it is only going to get better in 2021.
On the fiscal probity bills- A Bill To Repeal the Audit Law 1959 and Enact Special Audit Provision Law (2020); and A Bill For A Law To Provide For the Establishment of the Office of the Auditor-General, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Suleiman Usman said they were crafted “to strengthen fiscal responsibility, prudent management and accountability of public funds which is a catalyst for good governance in the state.
“These laws became necessary because of the state government undertaking and obligations of State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SIFTAS), initiative which Sokoto state has subscribed to.
“Part of the requirements (of the World Bank initiative) in Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLI 7) is to ensure the independence and autonomy of the Auditor-General of the state and the local government,” Usman explained.
