Governor El-Rufai

The Kaduna State Government says it spent N4.9 billion on 67 projects in Chikun Local Government Area of the state in the last three and half years.

This is contained in the state’s scorecard for projects at various stages of execution in the local government area presented at a town hall meeting on Monday in Kaduna,

The event was organized by the State Budget and Planning Commission in collaboration with the Ministry for Local Governments.

Speaking at the event, the Budget and Planning Commissioner, Muhammad Abdullahi, said the government had done well and needed more support from the people to continue.

According to him, the state government was generating only N13 billion in 2015 when Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai took over, but has now been raised tremendously.

He said the government had to strengthen its tax policies and block revenue leakages, thereby raising its internally generated revenues to N32 billion at the end of 2018.

On the 67 projects covering Education, Health, Rural and Community Development, Environment and infrastructure, most have been completed.

Some of the projects included six road projects awarded at the cost of N3.2 billion, 39 school projects that gulped N1.1 billion, among others.

The government said it had awarded contracts for 28 projects in the health sector at N455.9 million, in addition to 14 Public Health Centers in various communities in the area.

According to the record, the government has also spent N32.8 million in various projects including consultancy for the construction of Bagoma Dam.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry Development, Dr Daniel Manzo said Agro-Industrial zone had been established on Kaduna-Abuja expressway in the local government.

Earlier, Hajiya Ladi Yahuza, Interim Chairman, Chikun Local government Area said the council had received over N3.8 billion in 2018 for capital and recurrent expenditures.

Yahuza said the amount was utilised on projects execution and payment of salaries in the area.

She appealed for peaceful co-existence among residents of the area ahead of the 2019 general polls.

The official also appealed to security agencies to be more proactive in the area to tackle banditry and pockets of kidnappings.

On his part, Yari Markus, the member representing Chikun in the state Assembly called on residents to support the re-election bid of Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai to sustain investments to the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by traditional and religious leaders, Igbo community in the area, youth and women groups, as well NGos and civil societies.