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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Stakeholders in Kebbi State health sector have identified and lined up steps to improve performances and monitoring in future budget for health and other critical sectors in the state.
This was the outcome of a two-day quarterly budget performance review meeting between the House of Assembly, health sector MDAs and other relevant partners in the state, organised by USAID State2State in conjunction with the UNICEF and Kebbi State Government at Dankani Hotel, Sokoto.
The team leader, USAID State2State in Kebbi State, Usman Faleye, in his welcome remarks said the aim of the meeting was to ensure improvement in budget planning and performance of the health sector in the state.
He said the meeting was to look into the performance of the budget in the first quarter of the year and assured that it would be on a quarterly basis.
USAID State2State Citizen Engagements and Capacity Building Consultant, Stephen John, presented the meeting’s objectives and the role of the legislature in reviewing in-year budget execution performance.
The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Muhammad Usman Zuru, represented by Muhammad Garba, assured that the assembly would continue to support the ministry of health to deliver on the state government’s mandate.
Chairman, House Committee on Health, Muhammad Tukur, who revealed that the Assembly did not reduce the budget of the ministry, enjoined the Ministry of Health to always work in tandem with the House Committee on Health, for a harmonised working relationship.
Dr. Shehu Nuhu Koko and Hajiya Aisha Usman, Permanent Secretaries, Ministry of Health and Budget and Economic Planning respectively, maintained that the essence of the meeting was to strengthen the financial management of the health ministry. The meeting is also to monitor the budget performance review of the health sector, challenges as well as to ensure improved budget for the health and other critical sectors in the state.
There was a presentation of the Q1 BPR dashboard; 2024 health sector budget vs total approved budget; importance of filing monthly expenditure returns and documenting quarterly budget performance; the need for adequate “health budget performance and charge for next quarter.”
