Gov Lalong Assents to N147bn 2021 Budget

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Obiajulu Joel Nwolu

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Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has signed the N147bn appropriation bill and the state anti-kidnapping bill into law.

The House of Assembly in the state had raised the 2021 appropriation bill to over N147bn from the initial N133bn presented to it by Governor Lalong.

The Governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Macham Makut said, the adjustment in the figure was done by the lawmakers to accommodate more interests before passing the bill which has now been signed into law by the governor, Punch reports.

Makut said the governor while assenting to the 2021 bill consisting of N90.19 billion as recurrent and N57.34 billion as capital expenditures pointed out that the budget will focus on areas that will stimulate economic growth and recovery, particularly as the year begins under the second wave of COVID-19 which has affected the economy adversely.

He said, “With the successful passage of the 2021 budget within record time, we shall now settle down to implement the budget vigorously. As we face the second wave of COVID-19, we shall continue to appeal to our people to observe all protocols so that we do not have any reason to lock down again and further hurt the economy”.

Speaking on the anti-kidnapping, anti-land grabbing, cultism and other anti-violence related matters bill also passed by the House of Assembly, the governor said the law is long overdue because of the increase in kidnapping, land grabbing and other violent crimes within the State.

The governor said the law stipulates death sentence as punishment for those convicted for kidnapping while those found guilty of cultism shall be jailed for a minimum of 7 years. Others involved in meting out violence on anyone risk spending up to ten years in jail upon conviction.