Nigerian Concord Newspaper With Agency Reports
A review of the budget performance documents for Niger State has shown that a sum of N5.7billion was spent by Governor Muhammed Umar Bago’s administration on honorarium and sitting allowances by the state government between January 2024 and March 2025.
This happened despite that the government had spent less on erosion and flood control during the same period.
In 2024, honorarium and sitting allowances gulped N4.813 billion, while between January and March 2025, N949.2 million was spent on the same purpose.
In total, the state spent N5.762 billion on honorarium and sitting allowances between January 2024 and March 2025.
In contrast, a sum of N5.1 billion was spent on erosion and flood control between January 2024 and March 2025.
The amount is broken down into N2.9 billion spent between January and March 2025, and N2.2 billion between January and December 2024.
Further review shows that in 2024, the state and its local governments received N3.208 billion as ecology funds.
Ecology funds are forms of support to states and their local governments to tackle issues such as flooding.
The amounts received (total by Niger State and it’s LGAs) are broken down as follows: December – N394 million, November – N270 million, October – N273 million, September – N234 million, August – N273 million, July – N304 million, June – N236 million, May – N255 million, April – N223 million, March – N229 million, February – N277 million, and January – N250 million.
However, there were earlier reports that the devastating flood which struck the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State resulted in the loss of over 150 lives, with more than 100 people still reported missing.