Budget Cut: Kano Assembly insists on maintaining nutrition budget line

The Kano state House of Assembly has assured that despite the proposed cut in 2020 budget,  the nutritional budget line would be maintained.

Reports say nutritional issues have of late occupied the front burner in Northern Nigeria following report that 2.5million children suffer severe acute malnutrition.

Chairman,  House Committee on Appropriation Abba Ibrahim Garko who gave the assurances when he hosted Nutrition Networking Committee on Tuesday said the budget line for Nutrition was paramount to the society.

Kano state governor Dr Abdullahi Ganduje had on Monday, presented N138 billion revised edition of the 2020 budget to the House for approval, as he declared that the budget was slashed by about 30 per cent due to dwindling revenues and economic challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abba Ibrahim Garko explained that though they are yet to lay there hands on the revised budget,  however, the Appropriation Committee would reverse any actions inimical to the budget line.

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He stressed that “If Budget and Planning department reduces the budget line provision for nutrition,  for sure,  we will reverse it in line with our constitutional mandate to save a life”.

The Chairman, Appropriation Committee stated that they are not unaware of the economic impact of COVID-19 on the economy, but was quick to add that “we will not be adding to our woes by entertaining reductions on nutrition budgetary provisions”.

Earlier in a remark,  Abdullahi Zakari, Kano Nutrition Working Committee who led an advocacy campaign to the Assembly appealed to the Assembly to sustain the nutrition budgetary provisions as contained in 2020 Appropriation bill in the face of dwindling revenue.