By Yusuf Ishaku Goje
As at the 3rd quarter of 2021, the Kaduna state government had released N103.5 billion out of the N164.4 billion budgeted for capital expenditure, which represents a 63.0% performance, with a variance of N60.9 billion. Similarly, out of the N82.3 billion budgeted for recurrent expenditure, N60.1 billion has been released with a remaining balance of N22.2 billion, a 73.1% performance.
A look at the revenue performance shows that out of the budgeted recurrent revenue of N120.6 billion, about N91.7 billion has been generated with a remaining balance of N28.9 billion, a 76.0% performance. A further breakdown shows that out of the budgeted Statutory Allocation (FAAC) of N69.9billion, about N59.1 billion was received, an 84.4% performance, with a balance of N10.9 billion. While N32.6 billion was generated out of the budgeted N50.7 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) with a remaining balance of N18.1 billion, a 64.3% performance.
Out of the budgeted capital receipt of N98.1 billion, about N47.1 billion was received, a 48.0% performance, with a balance of N50.9 billion. Further breakdown also shows that out of the budgeted Aids and Grants of N50.2 billion, only N8.6 billion was realized, with a balance of N41.6 billion, a 17.2% performance. As for Capital Development Fund (CDF), out of the N47.9 billion budgeted, about N38.5 billion was received, an 80.4% performance, with a remaining balance of N9.4 billion.
The total expenditure for the period under review (Year to Date, Q1-Q3) is N163.6 billion out of the N246.7 billion budgeted, with a remaining balance of N83.1 billion, a 66.3% performance. Obviously, the performances in terms of revenue generation and releases look impressive.
Ideally, this should be worthy of public celebration, but reality has shown that performances in terms of revenue generation and releases does not outrightly translate to commensurate equitable cash-backing, all-round quality of service delivery and appreciable improvement in the living standard of the people.
Objectively speaking, in Kaduna state, public investment in infrastructure development, though not equitably distributed between urban and rural areas, same with sectors, is conspicuously evident to both residents and visitors. However, beyond the modernization that this represents, residents need to comparatively pay more attention to the cost benefit side by side with the huge loans collected, adherence to specification in terms of design and quality, value for money and citizens’ ownership of these projects.
Hence the need to further go beyond just monitoring outputs (projects) to evaluating outcomes (what has changed as a result). The questions needing urgent answers are how are these projects boosting the state’s economy, reducing poverty or hunger or unemployment or child and maternal mortality rate or illiteracy or insecurity in Kaduna state?
Lets engage, ask the right questions and hold the government accountable.
