Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secrets Reporters
It what appears to be a subtle ‘charity begins at home’ move, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched plans to overhaul the “State House Lagos Liaison Office” with millions of Naira to give it a new look.
SecretsReporters gathered from the 2024 appropriations bill that the former Lagos State governor who has eventually mounted Nigeria’s most respected office, will be spending the sum of two hundred and fifty million (N250,000,000) on different projects within the “State House Lagos Liaison Office” in the coming year.
According to details immersed in the budget, the Tinubu administration will, in 2024, splash the sum of fifty million Naira (N50,000,000) on the “Reconstruction Of The State House Clinic In The Lagos Liaison Office.”
It is unclear what happened to the existing State House Clinic in the Lagos Liaison Office for the President to set out for a ‘reconstruction’, especially since there are no public reports of the clinic being damaged.
In the recently released budget, the President also concealed plans to exert fifty million Naira (N50,000.000) on constructing the Presidential Helipad at Dodan Barrack, Lagos Liaison Office.
The two-term former Lagos State leader also included in the appropriation bill that he will be spending another forty million Naira (N40,000,000) of taxpayers money for “total renovation/overhauling of the Liaison Office/Residence.”
This online media gathered from the bill that Tinubu, who has been accused of ‘Yorubanizing’ his government, will cough out ten million Naira (N10,000,000) from the Nigerian treasury for “Upgrading Of CCTV/Communication for Security At Dodan Barracks”.
Despite lamenting publicly that he inherited an empty treasury from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who also led the country for eight years under the All Progressives Congress and was highly criticized for his unapologetic nepotism, Tinubu also buried plans in the budget to flamboyantly unleash a hundred million Naira (N100,000,000) on Presidential vehicles for the “State House Lagos Liaison Office”.
According to the details, the N100 Million will be used for the “Provision Of Treated Vehicles, Ambulance, Coaster Buses, SUV (8 Prado Jeeps) For Presidential/Vip Movements”.
Meanwhile, enshrouded in the budget is an ongoing project worth eighty-two million, four hundred and thirty-two thousand, and six hundred and sixty-four Naira (N84,432,664). The project is tagged “Maintenance Of State House Lagos Facilities (Dodan Barracks, VP Residence/Guest Houses At Ikoyi, Etc).”
It is germane to note that Tinubu, who assumed office earlier this year, has been accused by some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress of lopsided appointments in his administration.
The APC members, under the banner of Progressive Change Ambassadors of Nigeria (PCAN), said that mainly people from the South West region are being appointed to top positions by the President.
“We have observed that a significant majority of these appointments have been made from your southwest geopolitical zone and especially from your ethnic group – the Yorubas, to the exclusion of other qualified and competent individuals from other parts of the country.
“This has led to widespread feelings of alienation and resentment among Nigerians from other parts of the country. While we understand that you are entitled to appoint people you trust and believe in, we, stakeholders in the political party under which you assumed office as President of Nigeria, reserve the right to urge you to consider the importance of national unity and inclusiveness in your appointments.
“It is important to remember always that you are the President of all Nigerians, not just that of Yorubas of the southwest geopolitical zone,” the group said in a statement.
