Benue Assembly approves N171bn supplementary budget

The Benue State House of Assembly has approved a supplementary budget of N170.8 billion for Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The approval was given on Wednesday during a plenary presided over by Speaker Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh.

Following the approval of the supplementary appropriation bill, Benue’s cumulative budget for 2024 stood at N396, 621, 868, 343.

The passing of the supplementary budget followed the consideration of the report from the Committee on Finance and Appropriation on the Supplementary Appropriation Bill presented during the assembly’s plenary session.

Presenting the report, the committee chairman, Cephas Dyako, reminded members of the house that the 2024 approved revenue of N225,727,395,206.97 has been increased by N170, 894, 473, 135.09,
bringing the 2024 revised estimates to N396,621,868,343.

After careful observation and scrutiny of the 2024 supplementary estimates of both revenue capital and recurrent expenditure, the House passed it into law.

Also during the plenary, the House directs the chairman of the State Universal Basic Education, SUBEB, Dr. Grace Adagba, with immediate effect, to decentralise the recruitment examination to all the 23 local government areas of the state to enhance efficiency and easy access to the venues.

Moving a motion calling on the SUBEB chairman to decentralise the recruitment examination process, Minority Leader Michael Audu informed the house that due to the hardship caused by the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, it will be difficult for many applicants to travel to Makurdi for the test.

He said such a decision by the SUBEB chairman would render many applicants hopeless since they lack the finances to travel to Makurdi for the exercise.

The motion was seconded by the member representing Katsina-Ala West state constituency, Bemdoo Ipusu. Member representing Makurdi North state constituency, Berger Emberga, decried the high level of unemployment in the state and urged the house to stop the centralisation of the process.

Berger noted that the move by the SUBEB chairman will disqualify many applicants who will not be financially buoyant to travel to Makurdi, the state capital, for the computer-based test.

The House resolved that the SUBEB chairman should immediately decentralise the recruitment examination process and ensure that every qualified indigene of the state is given due consideration.

Benue Assembly approves N171bn supplementary budget