Date: 2017-02-08

The Kwara State House of Assembly Committee on Water and Agriculture Resources says the allocation of N133m for the agricultural sector in 2017 budget is grossly inadequate and unacceptable.

To this end, it has directed the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to accommodate purchase of at least 20 tractors for farmers and payment of counterpart funding Agricultural Development Projects and Fadama lll in this year's budget.

The House Committee gave the indication during the 2017 Budget defence of the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources before the Committee.

The Chairman of the Committee Hon Ishiaku Aliyu Adams said the house committee was unanimous that the Ministry should go back and represent its defence to accommodate counterpart funding, purchase of tractors for farmers to boast food production this year. He said the decisions were taken to enable the state governor realize his vision of creating more job opportunity, increased IGR and Sustainable development through agriculture.

The Committee equally mandated the State Ministry of Water Resource to represent its budget defence to accommodate #1bn for the reactivation of Oyun Water Works and N50m counterpart funding for RUWASA to increase people's acess to portable water this fiscal year.

Meanwhile, the House Committee on Energy, Works and Transport has expressed delight the state Ministry of Works and Transport was exploring new areas of generating revenue for the state in 2017 budget.

The Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Mathew Babaoye who disclosed this in Ilorin however said the Ministry has been mandated by the Committee to look into making provisions for Constituency projects, provision of logistics for the State Fire Service and the State Road Management Agency in this year's budget, to increase government's patronage across the State.