The Zamfara State Government has dismissed claims that it allocated N19.3 billion for kitchen equipment in the 2024 budget, labeling the reports as false and misleading.
On Tuesday, it was reported that a review of the state budget performance document revealed this large amount set aside for kitchen and canteen equipment for the upcoming fiscal year.
During a press briefing in Gusau, the state capital, Mallam Abdulmalik Gajam, the state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, expressed his disappointment with the misleading report.
He clarified that the N19.3 billion budget is actually designated for various projects under the Ministry of Education, providing a detailed breakdown to address the inaccuracies.
He said, “The news platform that peddled the fake news pushed half-baked statistics, omitting the vital information from the complete budget performance document.”
“The breakdown of 19.3 billion was budgeted under the Ministry of Education, and it is under the category of capital expenditure.
“The name canteen & kitchen is a fixed asset purchase the coded name of a particular category of multiple expenditures which contain a provision on the agile program, construction of zonal primary schools, provision of smart primary school in Gusau, procurement of kitchen utensil for all government school for 40 million naira, construction of teachers training centre and creation of teachers development funding scheme.
“All this put together is what constituted 19.3 billion.”
The commissioner further stressed that Governor Daudu Lawal’s administration came to reduce the abuse of public funds and block leakages.
