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| A bullet proof tyre |
Over N94.5 million will be spent on bullet-proof tyres for President Muhammadu Buhari and others this year, State House Permanent Secretary Jalal A. Arabi has said.
Canteen
and kitchen equipment will cost N100.8 million.
These
are part of the breakdown of the State House budget presented by Arabi to
the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
The
number of treated (bulletproof) tyres that will be bought with N94.5 million
was, however, not specified.
Arabi
told the committee that N94.5 million (50% of the actual sought for in 2016) is
proposed for this year.
The
amount is expected to address the shortfall and complement the requirement of
“the sector which are mostly treated tyres procured at exorbitant price”.
On
why the tyres should be bought at “exorbitant price”, Arabi explained that
“some of the tyres being purchased are actually treated (bulletproof)” and
hence constituted the bulk of the purchase cost.
For
canteen and kitchen equipment, Arabi said N100.8 million was provided in the
2017 budget.
He
added: “This amount is principally the unreleased appropriation for 2016, which
was the unpaid balance in 2015 for contracts awarded and executed. The sum of
N80.2million appropriated in 2016 has up to this moment not been released hence
its rollover and inclusion in 2017.”
Arabi
noted that it was important to mention that the proposal covered kitchen
equipment in the main residence, VP’s residence, banquet hall, State House
medical centre, State House auditorium and 22 guest houses.
On
electricity charges, he said N45.3 million was approved in the last year’s
budget.
The
State House’s electricity bill for 2016, according to Abuja Electricity
Distribution Company (AEDC), was N252 million. Another outstanding liability of
over N300 million for State House, Lagos facilities.
Arabi
noted that the provision in the 2016 budget could not accommodate the
outstanding liability.
He
said the management of the State House was forced to install meters in 2016 to
ensure proper billing “and that was what reduced the bill to a reasonable
figure”.
Arabi
said that since the bills were subject of reconciliation “we have made a modest
provision of the sum of N319.6 million for 2017 to settle current and part of
outstanding bills as noted above”.
The
committee chairman, Senator Tijjani Kaura said the State House Medical Centre
should be properly funded as it does not serve the Presidential Villa alone,
but provides services for outsiders.
Source:The Nation
Tags
Politics