By Godwin Ojoshimite

Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Monday presented the 2014 fiscal appropriation bill of N114.5 billion to the state’s House of Assembly for consideration.

Presenting the budget at the floor of the state assembly Al-Makura said that N59.6billion, representing 52.03 per cent of the budget, was earmarked for recurrent expenditure, while 54.9billion, representing 47.9 per cent was set aside for capital expenditure.

The budget showed an increase of N4.3 bn as against 2013 budget of N110 billion.

Al-Makura who tagged the appropriation bill “budget of reality” said that the budget is guided by the market forces and Federal Government fiscal strategy assumptions.

He said that the budget had been carefully planned to ensure proper implementation, completion of all ongoing projects as well as enhance Internal Revenue Generation (IGR) of the state.

He added that government was determined to salvage the people from poverty, backwardness, deprivation, disease and hopelessness and to make education free from primary to secondary schools for the benefit of its people”.

He explained that the budget presented is also to complete the ongoing projects and commence new ones for the development of the state.

Also speaking during the presentation, Musa Ahmed ,Speaker of the house congratulated the governor for presenting the budget and urged him to ensure strict implementation.