Benue Assembly passes supplementary appropriation

The Benue House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the state’s second supplementary appropriation bill of N24.5 billion for the 2015 fiscal year.
The appropriation comprised a recurrent expenditure of N12.5 billion and a capital vote of N12 billion.
Adam Okloho (APC-Adoka/Ugboju), the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, had frowned at the indulgence of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in extra budgetary expenditure.
Okloho said the state government had paid backlog of salary arrears of N12.5 billion owed workers, using the bailout fund from the Federal Government.
Ianna Jato (PDP-Katsina-Ala East) said the House welcomed any further complaints on disbursement of the bailout fund, if any, for amicable resolution.
Jato warned MDAs to refrain from indulging in extra budgetary expenditure, stressing that instead they should apply for a supplementary budget when the need arose.
Benjamin Nungwa (APC-Kwande West) decried the habit of MDAs indulging in extra budgetary expenditure, adding that defaulting agencies should be sanctioned.
Terkimbi Ikyange, the Speaker, also frowned at the issue of extra budgetary expenditure and warned MDAs to henceforth stop the practice.
Ikyange also directed the Ministry of Finance to make adequate provisions for the MDAs in their approved estimates in order to check extra budgetary expenditure.
NAN.