Zamfara apolitical group under the auspices of Zamfara Integrity Forum (ZIFO) has on called on President Bola Tinubu to allocate more projects and funding to the state in the 2024 Appropriation Bill laid before the joint session of the National Assembly recently.
Coordinator of the group, Comrade Yunus Zubairu, made the call in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.
The group noted that critical areas like defence and security, health, education and agriculture need inclusiveness, especially in Zamfara and other North-western states where banditry has ravaged food production, health system and education.
ZIFO tasked the federal government to ensure smooth and deeper synergy among security agencies, education, health and agriculture so as to restore public trust. It stressed that with about 700,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Zamfara state as result of insecurity, the Tinubu government must be seen to be proactive in these critical areas.
“The budget should ensure building and equipping of hospitals in the state, improve educational facilities cum expand agro technology in farming such as irrigation farming, among others,” it said.
“Zamfara state, over the years, had major challenges in education as a result of banditry. Just last year, a report titled; “The State of Primary Healthcare Service Delivery in Nigeria,” showed that Zamfara and 17 other Nigerian states are weak in healthcare service delivery, especially in public facilities. We urge Mr. President to use this budget of Renewed Hope to impact tremendously on the lives of the good people of Zamfara state and Nigeria as a whole”, Zubairu stressed.
According to ZIFO, “N1.33 trillion (5% of the budget) for health is reasonable enough to transform the health sector but the problem is funding and the good will of execution. The National Assembly owes Nigeria the onerous tasks of ensuring effective budget defence and clinical oversight functions for quality delivery.”
While commiserating with the victims of the unfortunate error bombing in Tudun Biri, Igabi, Kaduna state, the group maintained that government must ensure all promises made to the community are fulfilled timely to alleviate the people’s agony.
