Nigeria News

FG To Spend ₦5.6bn for Aso Rock repairs In 2017

Published

Monday, December 26, 2016

10:40 AM

Olawale Adeniyi

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 ₦642.5 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 ₦1.12 billion for the “rehabilitation and repairs of official buildings” in 2015.

The State House is also planning to spend ₦135 million on fuel cost. It spent ₦81 million in 2016 and ₦65.9 million in 2015 for the same purpose.

On honorarium and sitting allowances, the State House is proposing to spend ₦556 million next year, according to the budget proposals. The item gulped ₦507 million in 2016 and ₦174 million in 2015.

The budget proposals show that the State House will spend ₦319 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 ₦45 million and ₦36.7 million on State House electricity in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

The budget estimates show that the office of the president is proposing to spend ₦1.3 billion next year. The president’s office spent ₦1.6 billion in 2016 and ₦1.2 billion in 2015.

Details of estimates show the president will spend ₦188 million as honorarium and sitting allowance, which is less than ₦276.8 million he spent in 2016 and ₦223 million in 2015.

On food stuff, the president is proposing to spend ₦114 million. This figure is little below ₦103 million he spent in 2016 and about twice the ₦69 million he spent in 2015 for the same purpose.

There was about ₦200 million reductions on what the president would spend on travels next year compared to 2016. The president is planning to spend ₦978 million on travels – ₦739 million foreign and ₦239 million local.

The president spent ₦1.2 billion and ₦944 million on travels in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

The president’s chief security officer (CSO) is proposing to spend ₦123 million next year. This figure is about five times the ₦25 million he spent in 2016. The CSO had no budget in 2015.

The office of the vice president is planning to spend ₦448 million in 2017. This figure is higher than the ₦289 million it spent in 2016 and ₦227 million of 2015.

The vice president’s budget estimate for travels has increased unlike the president’s. He is planning to spend ₦306 million – ₦218 foreign and ₦88 million local – against 2016’s ₦43 million and 2015’s ₦33 million.

On food, the vice president is proposing to spend ₦53 million next year, against ₦6.7 million of 2016 and ₦11million of 2015.

The 2017 estimates show that the VP’s sitting allowance and honorarium has been hiked to ₦27 million from 2016’s ₦8 million and 2015’s ₦6.9 million.