2023: State House budgets  N7.20 billion  on routine maintenance of  facilities

….N1.96 billion for vehicle purchase

…seeks N644 million for maintenance of Lagos Liaison office, guest houses

By Haruna Salami

The State House has set aside N7.20 billion for maintenance of Villa facilities out of a total of N21.137 billion budgetary proposals for 2023 fiscal year.

It also earmarked N1.96 billion for vehicle purchase in the fiscal year and N644 million for maintenance of State House Lagos Complex and Guest Houses .

Making presentations to that effect before the Senate Committee on Federal Character  on Thursday, the Permanent Secretary  State House, Tijjani Umar said the proposals and projections were inadequate.

According to him, the total budget size of N21.137 billion for State House in 2023  is N19.010billion less , when compared to the N40.148 billion appropriated for it in 2022 fiscal year.

The N7.20 billion earmarked for maintenance of Villa Facilities, he explained, formed the critical component of the Capital Expenditure segment of the proposed budget

“The facilities under this heading include but are not limited to electrical/mechanical installations, buildings and infrastructures in the President’s and Vice President’s residences, offices, State House Auditorium, Presidential and Ministerial Airport Chalets, etc.

“These commitment usually take about 65% of the total appropriation of the State House. In order to keep the facilities in optimal working condition, the sum of N7.20 billion has been proposed for year 2023 against the sum of N7.76 billion in 2022”, he said .

He added that 2023 being an election year the sum of N1.96 billion earmarked for vehicle purchase was inadequate just, as provision of N59 million for maintenance of State House Lagos Complex and Guest Houses, is grossly inadequate.

“The provision of N59 million for maintenance of State House Lagos Complex and Guest Houses is inadequate, requiring an estimated sum of N644 million for upgrade of the facilities.

“It is also instructive to note that the provision of N1.96 billion in the 2023 proposal for vehicle purchase, would still be inadequate to meet existing requirements, 2023 being an election year, which entails frequent travels with associated costs as well as the replacement of vehicles by incoming administration”, he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abba Moro (Benue South), said the slash in the State House budget for 2023 fiscal year was not peculiar as other MDAs were also affected, assuring the Permanent Secretary that the committee will work on it.