Imagine how a billion naira can change your life. That will tell you, where billions are budgeted or pushed to, determine the improvements in your life.

From the Taraba State Governor’s budget speech shared online, 176.6 Billion was budgeted for the year 2020. Out of these Billions 77.3 billion was said to have accrued. Meaning the government got 77.3 billion naira cash to spend or play with. According to the Governor’s speech, this is how he spent 77.3 billion in 2020. Follow carefully:

1. Only 59 Million was spent on education. Just imagine! Out of 77.3 Billion only 59 Million naira was spent on the education of our children. Now, I leave you to judge your Governor whether he intends to educate our children or younger ones with quality education at all. Where are the Billions going?

2. That he spent 40 Million on Urban & Town Development. Yes, 40 Million. Yet I don’t remember seeing any street name and house numbers in the State. People are developing their properties as they like. But that is not the main issue. What is paramount is where are the Billions going.

3.  Agriculture consumed 1.4 Billion.  Then works & Transport took 6.2 Billion. He also spent 6.6 Billion on the health sector. Yet goes for treatment abroad every now and then.  You wonder if the money was actually spent on improving health services in the state. Funny the General Hospitals said to be renovated are in Wukari and Takum.

It’s like the General Hospitals in Zing and other Local Governments are only for housing mosquitoes. So no need to renovate them. But hold on. 4.6 Billion was spent on water. I hope you all have a clean water supply in your houses.  If you don’t have, at least care to ask where the billions going?

Let me just take you to the conclusion.

From all the expenses stated by the Governor in his budget speech, only about 18.9 billion was spent out of the 77.6 billion naira available for spending. No attempt was made by the Governor to explain to the house in his budget speech where the remaining 58.1 Billion went to or how it was spent.

In other words, no attempt was made to explain how the Government spent 7.5% of the total money realized for use from the budget. Just imagine, that only 25% was explained to the House of Assembly. Unfortunately, they may go ahead to approve the next budget without asking questions. Wow! Is this how to run a state? I am just asking. You can educate me or ask the Member representing you.

Anyway, that is the last budget. What is in the new budget? The budget for Restoration and Stabilization. It’s for 139.4 billion. How will the government spend it in 2021? This is what the speech says.

1. Recurrent expenditure or if you like salaries will consume 82. 9 billion. With this, I don’t believe the Government will be owing anyone’s salaries in 2021. That reminds me, hope this will cover minimum wage for all Civil servants in the state and 16 Local Governments. Otherwise, call your House of Assembly members and ask questions. This is the time to ensure that your minimum wage is budgeted.

2. Capital expenditure for 56. 5 billion. The Speech did not mention which specific projects will consume this money. In sum, there is no worth mentioning that will consume this money. We will only hope that the full budget will be made available to members of the public for scrutiny so we know the projects that will consume these Billions.

The duty of the citizen is to see to it that money budgeted is spent on the appropriate projects and when diverted, EFCC is notified.

Although the budget is the title budget of Restoration and Stabilization, we have not been told where the billions will go and for what projects. Thus, 7 questions of where are the Billions going remain!

P. D. Pius, Esq.

Abuja, Nigeria

piusdanba@gmail.com