Areview of Gombe state’s budget performance for Q1 2024 reveals that N599 million was spent on entertainment and hospitality, with a total allocation of N2.8 billion for the entire year.
Over the 91-day period spanning January to March 2024, Gombe state’s daily average spending on entertainment and hospitality amounts to N6.5 million, given the total expenditure of N599 million.
In comparison, the capital expenditure for various ministries in Gombe state was significantly lower, with the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs spending N19.4 million, the Health Ministry spending N201 million, Higher Education spending N130 million, Energy and Mineral Resources spending N25 million, and Science, Technology, and Innovation spending N6 million, as per the budget performance reports.
In stark contrast, essential public services received significantly less funding, with only N37.8 million allocated for water facilities, zero budget for public school construction, N33 million for healthcare facility rehabilitation, and N36.6 million for housing repairs and rehabilitation in the first quarter of 2024, according to the budget performance documents.
Despite allocating N599 million to entertainment and hospitality, Gombe state grapples with alarming developmental challenges, including a 31.9% unemployment rate, 48% of school-aged children missing out on education, 75% of households lacking access to sanitary facilities, and 54% without access to clean drinking water, as revealed by the National Bureau of Statistics’ multidimensional poverty index.
The NBS data reveals a state struggling with deep-seated developmental challenges, including high unemployment, poor education outcomes, and lack of access to basic necessities like sanitation and clean drinking water, with 3.02 million persons living in poverty.
