Nigeria News

FG To Spend N5.6bn for Aso Rock repairs In 2017

Published

26 December 2016

10:40 AM

The presidency has earmarked a whooping sum of N5.6 billion for rehabilitation and repairs of residential buildings in Aso Rock next year.

This figure is about nine times what the presidency spent for the same purpose in 2016, an analysis of the 2017 proposed budget estimates presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari recently has revealed.

Official figures show that the federal government spent N642.5 million for the rehabilitation and repairs of residential buildings in the seat of power in 2016.

In 2015, the government had spent twice what it spent for the Aso Rock buildings this year according to budget details analysed by Daily Trust. The presidency had spent N1.12 billion for the “rehabilitation and repairs of official buildings” in 2015.

The State House is also planning to spend N135 million on fuel cost. It spent N81 million in 2016 and N65.9 million in 2015 for the same purpose.

On honorarium and sitting allowances, the State House is proposing to spend N556 million next year, according to the budget proposals. The item gulped N507 million in 2016 and N174 million in 2015.

The budget proposals show that the State House will spend N319 million on electricity charges. This figure is about seven times what the government spent on the State House electricity in 2016.

Official data shows that the presidency spent N45 million and N36.7 million on State House electricity in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

The budget estimates show that the office of the president is proposing to spend N1.3 billion next year. The president’s office spent N1.6 billion in 2016 and N1.2 billion in 2015.

Details of estimates show the president will spend N188 million as honorarium and sitting allowance, which is less than N276.8 million he spent in 2016 and N223 million in 2015.

On food stuff, the president is proposing to spend N114 million. This figure is little below N103 million he spent in 2016 and about twice the N69 million he spent in 2015 for the same purpose.

There was about N200 million reductions on what the president would spend on travels next year compared to 2016. The president is planning to spend N978 million on travels – N739 million foreign and N239 million local.

The president spent N1.2 billion and N944 million on travels in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

The president’s chief security officer (CSO) is proposing to spend N123 million next year. This figure is about five times the N25 million he spent in 2016. The CSO had no budget in 2015.

The office of the vice president is planning to spend N448 million in 2017. This figure is higher than the N289 million it spent in 2016 and N227 million of 2015.

The vice president’s budget estimate for travels has increased unlike the president’s. He is planning to spend N306 million – N218 foreign and N88 million local – against 2016’s N43 million and 2015’s N33 million.

On food, the vice president is proposing to spend N53 million next year, against N6.7 million of 2016 and N11million of 2015.

The 2017 estimates show that the VP’s sitting allowance and honorarium has been hiked to N27 million from 2016’s N8 million and 2015’s N6.9 million.