The Zamfara State Government has dismissed claims that it allocated N19.3 billion for kitchen equipment in its 2024 budget, labeling the reports as misleading and false.
The allegation surfaced on Tuesday through an online platform, which claimed to have reviewed a budget performance document from the state. According to the platform, the state had earmarked the substantial sum for purchasing kitchen and canteen equipment for the upcoming fiscal year.
During a press briefing in Gusau, the state capital, Zamfara State’s Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mallam Abdulmalik Gajam, expressed his dismay over the report. He clarified that the N19.3 billion in question was allocated to various capital projects under the Ministry of Education, not for kitchen equipment as alleged.
Gajam explained that the term "canteen & kitchen" in the budget is a coded category name that encompasses multiple expenditures. These include the Agile Program, the construction of zonal primary schools, the provision of a smart primary school in Gusau, the procurement of kitchen utensils for all government schools at a cost of N40 million, the construction of a teachers' training center, and the creation of a teachers' development funding scheme. The combined costs of these projects make up the N19.3 billion allocation.
The commissioner emphasized that Governor Daudu Lawal’s administration is committed to curbing the misuse of public funds and ensuring financial transparency in the state.
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