Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba presented the state’s 2022 budget estimates of N147.4 billion to the House of Assembly on Friday in Jalingo.

Presenting the “Budget of Hope and Consolidation’’, the governor commended the lawmakers for ensuring a cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.

He urged that the relationship be sustained for the common good of the state.

Mr Ishaku said the budget which represented 3.64 per cent increase over the 2021 budget had a total recurrent expenditure of N78.7 billion and a capital expenditure of N68.7 billion.

He said COVID-19 impacted negatively on the 2021 budget, making implementation to be 34.55 per cent at the end of the third quarter as against the projected 75 per cent.

Joseph Kunini, Speaker of the House, said the legislators were conscious of the need for expeditious processing and passage of the budget.

He said they would work tirelessly to sustain the January to December budget cycle that had been put in place by the executive.

“Over the last six years, implementation of budgets in Taraba has greatly put smiles on the faces of a good number of the people,’’ he said.

(NAN)