The Kwara State House of Assembly, has invited the State Commissioner
for Health Alhaji Usman Rifun and his counterpart from Economic Planning, Alhaji Abdul Waheed Adewale, over the alleged non inclusion of one percent Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state, for the state Health Insurance Scheme.
The Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, gave the directive on Thursday, during a continuation of debate on the general principles of the state’s 2019 budget estimate, before the House.
The invitation was a reaction to the submissions of the chairman House Committee on Health and Environment, Hon Ahmed Ibn Mohammed on non inclusion of the fund for the scheme, in the budget estimate.
Dr Ahmad, who recalled the law enacted by the legislature on allocation of one per cent of state’s consolidated fund for the scheme and assented to by the Governor, said it should be enforced, to ensure affordable qualitative health care delivery, for the people of the state, through payment of premiums by enrollees annually.
Hon Ibn Mohammed, had while speaking on the general principles of the budget estimate, enjoined the executive arm of government to explore the potentials of constructing parking lots, in some strategic places in the state capital and some urban centres in the state, to enhance the revenue base of the state.
Meanwhile, the staff of Bureau of Lands, Ministry Housing and Urban Development, currently occupying the state owned College of Midwifery Ilorin, are to move out of the College, before the end of the outgoing year.
The Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon Mashood Bakare, gave the indication at the floor of the House, while briefing the legislature, on the joint committee’s interaction with the state Head of Service, Secretary to the State Government and Commissioner for Economic Planning as directed by the House.
The Chairman House Committee on Education and Human Capital Development, Hon Jimoh Akanni Abdul-Rahman, also disclosed that bulk sum had been allocated for accreditation of courses in all the state owned tertiary institutions, in the 2019 budget estimate, pointing out that usurpation of requisite cabinet responsibilities had stopped, based on the submissions of the invited government officials.
