The State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability, SFTAS, programme has paid N5 billion to Yobe as a prize for impressive reforms in public financial management.
Governor Mai Mala Buni of the state stated this at a media chat in Damaturu on Friday, as part of activities marking his six years in office.
In 2022, SFTAS, a World Bank programme, rated Yobe the overall best in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja in disbursement link indicators and second best in debt sustainability.
The governor stated that the prize was informed by due process in awarding contracts, adherence to budgetary rules, control of government spending and debts, among others.
He said he had resisted the idea of seeking foreign loans, adding that his focus was to execute projects and programmes which had direct bearing on the people with available limited resources.
Mr Buni said he had no intention of raising taxes in the state, even as there was a need to source for more funds to compliment statutory subvention.
“We won’t raise taxes because , I believe, Yobe has not fully recovered from the devastating effects of Boko Haram insurgency.
“In the circumstance, raising taxes because you need money for projects is sheer insensitivity. I won’t be a party to that,” he said.
According to him, the state government spends over N600 million every month on feeding boarding school students, and N200 million on payment of gratuities.
The governor said 230 youths had benefitted from the state‘s foreign scholarship scheme since 2020 and many had since returned home to practise their professions.
Mr Buni said over 2,000 health workers, who were mainly youths, were employed by his administration into various health care centres across the state.
He said it took the intervention of his administration for the Yobe University, Damaturu, to accept N55,000 as registration fee for medical students, when other universities were charging over N300,000.
Mr Buni said the subsidy was aimed at enhancing access to learning by youths and minimising hardship amongst parents.
The governor added that there was an improvement in the security situation of the state, linking the success to synergy among the state, troops and sister security agencies.
“Security has massively improved in Yobe, contrary to the erroneous perception of some people.
“I have always said the development and security are two sides of a coin. Without security, there can’t be any development,” he said.
NAN
