Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has budgeted N4 billion for the renovation of his official residence at Dodan Barrack in Lagos, and another N3 billion for the renovation of the Vice President’s official quarters in the state.
The amount was approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday and contained in the supplementary budget sent to the National Assembly for approval.
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Mr Tinubu had on Tuesday requested the National Assembly to approve the N2.17 trillion supplementary budget.
In the supplementary budget, the president also proposed another N4 billion for the renovation of presidential quarters for the president, N4 billion for the construction of an office complex within the state house and N2.5 billion for the renovation of Aguda House – the official residence of the vice president located within the Aso Rock Villa.
Mr Tinubu also agreed to spend N3 billion on the acquisition, renovation, and rehabilitation of four EFCC fortified quarters as a state house complex at Mabushi and Guzape within the federal capital territory.
A review of the budget by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the administration is embarking on non-essential spending at a time when Mr Tinubu appealed to Nigerians to tighten their belts following the economic hardship and galloping inflation that followed the removal of subsidy on petroleum.
For instance, the official residences of the President and his vice in Lagos are rarely used.
The immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, used the official residence in Lagos less than four times throughout his two consecutive terms in office – 2015 to 2023.
Mr Buhari first visited Lagos on 21, May 2016 for a 2-day working visit. In that first official visit to the state, since he assumed office about a year after, the president spent the night in the state where he commissioned the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the constructed Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, among others.
In March 2018, the former president visited Lagos in another two-day working visit, where he attended the Colloquium organised to mark the 66th Birthday of Mr Tinubu who was then the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). During that visit, Mr Buhari performed the official flag-off ceremony for the construction of the Lekki Deep Sea Port project, Ibeju Lekki, among others.
In January this year, Mr Buhari visited Lagos for a two-dayL working visit where he cut the tape on many projects including the Imota Rice Mill, and Lekki Deep Sea Port among others.
He returned to the state in May for his last official visit as president where he commissioned the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote refinery located at the Lekki free zone near Lagos.
Unlike, Mr Buhari, who used his residence in Daura while on holiday in Katsina State, it’s not clear, too, if Mr Tinubu will use his residence located on Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, which is less than a 10-minute drive to his official residence in the Dodan Barrack during his vacation.
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