The Federal Government is currently planning to allocate approximately N13.5 billion for the refurbishment of the official residences of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, located in Abuja and Lagos.
The financial allocation is included in the supplemental budget recently submitted by Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly for approval.
Earlier, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, announced that the Federal Government would seek authorization to allocate over N2 trillion for the 2023 supplemental budget.
This marks a 9.16 percent increase from the N21.83 trillion 2023 Appropriations Bill, which was signed into law on January 3, 2023, by former President Muhammadu Buhari, making it the highest budget in Nigeria’s history.
The supplemental budget details reveal that Tinubu intends to allocate over N4 billion for the renovation of his official residence in Abuja and around N2.5 billion for the refurbishment of his vice’s official residence.
Similarly, Tinubu plans to renovate his official residence, the Dodan Barracks, in Lagos, with an estimated budget of about N4 billion, while the renovation of the vice president’s official residence in Lagos is expected to cost around N4 billion as well.
These budget allocations have sparked extensive discussions and debates among various segments of the population, especially as many Nigerians continue to feel the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy.
In his inaugural address on May 29, Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy, resulting in a significant increase in petrol prices, from approximately N200 to over N500 per liter.
While some groups have commended him for taking swift action to eliminate the subsidies, which experts estimate have drained billions of dollars from the nation’s economy, others have criticized the administration for its perceived extravagant spending and called for greater efforts to reduce the cost of governance.
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The National Assembly last month announced its intention to allocate approximately N57.6 billion for the procurement of official vehicles for the 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.
Akin Rotimi, the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, informed a correspondent from Sunday PUNCH that House members have already begun to receive the new vehicles.
Rotimi said, “Some members have started taking delivery of their vehicles. Priority was given to women in the parliament, people with any form of disability, and the elderly. The management has also ensured that only members who have been fully disposed of their court cases will be given the vehicles to avoid problems.”