State House Cuts Own Budget From N40bn To N21bn

Permanent secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar yesterday defended the 2023 budget proposal of N21.1 billion before the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties, headed by Suleiman Samaila.

The permanent secretary, who was accompanied by top management staff of the State House, said the 2023 budget proposal seeks to consolidate the achievements recorded in the implementation of the 2022 appropriation.

It would be recalled that on November 3, 2022, Umar had defended the budget before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Appearing before the House of Reps Committee, the permanent secretary in a statement by director, Information, State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, noted that the proposed budget is aimed at completing ongoing projects which could not be completed with the level of budgeted funds in the 2022 budget.

According to him, these include phased replacement of vehicles, Villa Telecommunication Infrastructure, Routine Maintenance of the presidential Villa facilities, remodelling and upgrade of the State House Mini Zoo.

The permanent secretary disclosed that the 2023 budget proposal of N21.1 billion was comparatively lower than the 2022 appropriation of N40.1 billion by N19.01 billion.

He said the significant decrease was mainly in the capital expenditure and was due to the expected completion and commissioning of the Presidential VIP Wing of the State House Medical Centre, as well as a marginal decrease in the personnel cost as a result of the anticipated retirement of 40 State House staff in 2023.

On the 2022 budget performance, the permanent secretary said the State House appropriation for overhead was N7.7 billion out of which the sum of N4.5 billion representing 58.3 per cent had been released between January and July, 2022.