Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, yesterday, assented to the 2017 appropriation bill of  N69,971,427,596 passed by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.

Assenting to the bill in Lafia, the state capital, shortly after being presented by the Speaker of the House,  Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe- Abdullahi, Al-Makura commended the legislature for discharging their constitutional responsibility by passing the 2017 appropriation bill into law.

He said, the Assembly,  after exhaustive deliberation and painstaking scrutiny of all government ministries and agencies, deemed it fit to pass the bill without unnecessary delay.

He said, “You have been patriotic and supportive of this administration which is a testimony of your commitment to the overall interest in the development of Nasarawa State.”

He explained that if not for the speedy passage there would have been stagnation in the aspiration and vision of his administration to discharge its constitutional obligation to the citizens of the state.

Al-Makura said the assent on the bill would usher in a period of robust and vibrant functional activities which were hampered by the non-passage of the bill.

“The time you have taken is to effect due diligence and now the state has the leverage to implement the 2017 budget through vibrant functional activities which will commence immediately as approved by the Assembly,” he said.

“We will abide absolutely with what has been prescribed in the budget and I hope our dreams and aspirations as enshrined in this budget will take the state forward,” he maintained.

The Speaker, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe- Abdullahi, said the Assembly was thorough in its scrutiny so as to ensure smooth implementation by government in the overall interest of the citizens of the state.

He said the Assembly would continue to support the state government in the discharge of its responsibility, even as he assured  that the legislature is determined to discharge its oversight  functions so as to ensure that the budget is implemented in the spirit of the provisions provided by the appropriation law.