Perm Sec Tasks Zamfara LG Officials On Budget Performance

The Permanent Secretary, Zamfara State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Yakubu Sanusi Gusau has called on local government officials to focus on effective budget performance.

Sanusi made the call while speaking at a Two-day Technical Meeting on the Performance Evaluation of 2025 Approved Budget of the 14 LGAs of the state.

The training was organized by the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics of the Ministry.

The participants of the training comprised Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics and Directors of Finance from the 14 LGAs as well as some directors in the ministry.

The Permanent Secretary described the training as a welcome development.

“This technical session is highly needed to enhance the operations of LG budget performance before end of the year.

“We are in the right direction, we have to ensure that all LG expenditures run based on the budgetary provisions.

“I want use this medium to commend the Director Planning, Research and Statistics Department of this ministry for his efforts to ensure effective budgets performance practices among LG officials,” he said.

He called on the participants to embrace service delivery and always focuses on professionalism and due process.

According to him, the present administration in the state under Gov Dauda Lawal is determined to entrench a culture of transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the local government service.

He noted that the rescue mission policy of the state government is determined to ensure effective local government services in the state.

The Permanent Secretary told the participants: “We want to prepare you for local government autonomy as well ensure future development of the state”.

“You know, we have to be serious in all our responsibilities.

“We must ensure transparency and accountability in our financial processes”, he added.

He emphasised that LG autonomy go hand in hand with transparency and accountability.

The Permanent Secretary therefore urged participants to be fully engaged throughout the sessions.

Also speaking, The Director Planning Research and Statistics of the Ministry, Mr Murtala Yusuf said the review is aim to boost the capacity of local government officials as regards to budget performance.

Yusuf said: “this activity is a recurrent process to review performance and implementation of LG budget in the state.

“As we all know, the 2025 budgets for the 14 LGAs of the state have been passed in to law by the state house of assembly and the implementation has already commenced.

“Therefore, there is need to review the two components of the budget, the revenue and expenditure.

“I believe, this review session will ensure effective performance of the LG budget in the state,” he said

The Director urged participants to ensure utilisation of all knowledge gathered during the session in their daily offices activities.

“You are stewards of public trust, Let your actions reflect integrity, transparency and accountability”, he charged the participants.

Mr Fauzudeen Mahmud, a Team Lead of an NGO, Tracka Development Foundation, popularity known as ZamTracka, described the review session as timely and needful.

“We have been working in the state over the years on physical governance to promote transparency and accountability.

“We were invited by the Ministry to participate and contribute in this session on budget performance.

“After the review session, we are going to prefer solutions and recommendations on the best way to improve the LG budget performance and implementation in the state”, Mahmud added.