By Iliya Kure
The Chairman of Billiri Local Government Area (LGA) in Gombe state, Eglah Idris, says the 2025 budget of the Local Government will focus on projects that have direct bearing on the people.
To this end, she tasked elected and Community leaders in the area to work with their constituents to generate budget proposals that are people oriented.
Idris was speaking at the community engagement ahead of the 2025 budget cycle organized by the Council for representatives of various strata of people drawn from the LGA.
While stressing that the Council will carry along all sections of the society in the budget planning and administration, she emphasized the need for the community leaders to hold broad consultation with the various units and wards to ensure capturing critical needs of their communities.
Idris who decried challenges in collection of internally generated revenue of the local government, promised to address the problem, and revive the revenue drive for additional income and effective utilization.
The Chairman also expressed appreciation to Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his leadership and support, as well as the initiative of engaging community members in budget preparation.
Speaking earlier, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, represented by Abdulrazak Abdulmumini, said, the essence of the community engagement towards budget process was to make it participatory.
The Commissioner therefore called on communities and organized groups to utilize the opportunity by presenting the most pressing needs of their communities to government right at the budget formulation stage, to ensure capturing and implementation.
In a remark, Treasurer of the LGA, Augustine Kurungu, highlighted some of the projects executed in the last fiscal year to include renovation of the Council Chamber; renovation of the Chairman’s office; and the renovation of the Deputy Chairman’s office.
Others, he said, included repairs of boreholes; renovation of government lodge; and the renovation of former College of Education staff quarters in Kalmai.
Participants including traditional and religious leaders who spoke, emphasized the need for the Council to explore more revenue sources to compliment what is received from the federation account.
Notable participants at the meeting, included Deputy Chairman and Secretary to the LGA, Councillors, District and Village Heads, representatives of religious bodies and civil society groups.