By Bashir Rabe Mani
Gusau – A Sokoto State lawmaker, Alhaji Garba Bello, says Nigeria can only exit from recession if the three tiers of government diversify their economies.
Bello said at the closing of a three-day workshop on Thursday night in Gusau that the employment of Private, Public, Partnership (PPP) was part of strategic measures to exit the recession.
The workshop was organised by a USAID-assisted Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy and Development (LEAD) Project being implemented in Sokoto and Bauchi States.
It had the theme: ”2016 Sokoto State Budget Performance Review and Public Hearing on 2017 Budget Workshop.”
The lawmaker said: ” The economy of the state can also be diversified through revamping the agricultural sector.
” Look at the unfortunate incidences of post harvest losses of farm produce across the nation which can be redressed through the establishment of agro-allied firms.
” The country has also been endowed with abundant solid and mineral resources which should be fully explored and exploited.”
He also said that the urgent diversification of the economy was ” far better than pondering on increasing taxes and revenues”.
The Chairman of the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Alhaji Malami Ahmed, promised the legislature’s commitment to review the extant revenue laws in the state.
Ahmed said,”the action would result in collecting more internally-generated revenues in the state, rather than the heavy dependence on monthly funds from the Federation Account.”
The state Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Sa’idu Umar, said the state government was fully committed to harnessing the abundant agricultural and solid mineral resources.
Represented by Alhaji Aminu Arzika, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, Umar added,” the state government is also employing measures to plug all revenue leakages.
” The administration is also fully committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in handling pubic funds”.
The workshop was attended by members fro the media, civil society organisations, legislators and officials of various government establishments.
