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Home › Opinion       February 4, 2016

#2016 Budget 25 Random Observations

Feb 4, 2016 | Paul Utho

Let’s Start With The State House, Nigeria’s Seat Of Executive Power

  1. N536,295,924- Linking Cables to Driver's Rest Room at Aso Rock
  2. N33,277,595- Stage Curtains + Electrical Drive at Aso Rock
  3. N3,914,197,062- Annual routine maintenance at Aso Rock
  4. N1,559,911,748 Electrical work at Aso Rock
  5. #3 and #4 above come to
  1. N259,015,000 Purchase of Tyres, Batteries, Fuses, Toolboxes, Car Jacks, Tyre Changing 'Machines', etc. for Aso Rock vehicles.
  2. N618,000,000 Purchase of 5 BMW Saloons, 5 BMW SUVs, 16 & 33 Seater Toyota Hiace Buses and pick up vans for Aso Rock.
  3. N27,000,000 Purchase of C-Caution Signs, Fire Extinguishers, Towing Ropes and Booster Cables for Aso Rock fleet.
  4. N904,015,000 Cost of Acquisition of BRAND NEW automobile fleet and Fleet Maintenance Equipment for Aso Rock.
  5. Consequently, Aso Rock is spending:
  1. Ministry of Defense too has interesting financial priorities-

  1. French Language Village, Badagry, 3 Totally unrelated line items each have the exact same budget amount.
  1. Meetings are another example of money going down the drain:

'DANGOTE'... and other Key NVQ Stakeholders...

  1. Total Capital Expenditure in the Medical Sector leaves a lot to be desired
  1. As if it’s not bad enough that no Teaching Hospital got more funding than the Aso Rock Medical Center, both the Federal Staff Hospital Abuja and the National Hospital Abuja also got a fraction of what the Aso Rock Medical Center got:

  1. Then we have this icing on the medical cake:
    • N2,666,853,303 - Federal Ministry of Health Construction of Hospitals NATIONWIDE:
    • N3,865,629,221 - Aso Rock Medical Center

    Looking at our misguided priorities from another angle, compare and contrast:

    • N904,015,000Cost of New Car Fleet & Fleet Maintenance Equipment for Aso Rock.
    • N1,096,612,966Modernization of Tertiary Hospitals Across Nigeria.

    1. Books are another area where the Budget misses it completely. The Vice President gets more allocated to him for books that ANY university library.
    • N4,906,822 State House Operations- Vice President
      • N93,992University of Abuja
      • N710,722ObafemiAwolowo University
      • N947,283University of Benin Teaching Hospital
      • N2,077,478University of Jos

      Honorable mention goes to the National Library of Nigeria which has

      N5,021,254allocated for books.
      Moving right along:

      1. N130,188,931 - NnamdiAzikiwe Teaching Hospital- DOORS
      2. N22,342,494- University of Calabar Teaching Hostpital - Evacuation of rubbies from the building’. Yes ‘RUBBIES’
      3. Painting and Fencing also big business in the budget:
      • N165,100,000 - Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority- Painting
      • N46,826,911- Institute of Agricultural Research- Zaria – Painting
      • N28,687,386- FGGC Keana- 300M Fence
      • N40,572,200 –National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi- 3km Fence
        1. FGC Keffi- 1000 Meter Fence

        N108,209,272- FGC Azare, 3000 Meter Fence
        N108,208,273- FGC Azare, 3000 Meter Fence (yes 2 fences)

        N346,000,000- Ministry of Transport- Jos Airport 10Km Fence

        N1,498,505,744 – Nigerian Defense Academy- Kaduna- Perimeter Fence

        1. Chairs are big business too:
        • N99,281,250 -National Theater- 1,600 Chairs
        • N585,000,000Ministry of Communication Technology HQ- Chairs
        1. Let’s not forget tables:
        • N415,500,000- Ministry of Communication Technology HQ- Tables

        Curious Buildings and Boreholes are in the Budget too:

        • N500,000,000- Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority- 6 Aviation Family Centers-
        • N308,000,000- VIP Wing at State House Medical Center-
        • N400,000,000- Hostel at Nigerian-Benin International School-
        • Ministry of Works, Power & Housing HQ:
          • N400,000,000- Solar Borehole
          • N161,500,000- Motorized Borehole

          The Budget also has some interesting pricing for the Toyota Hilux, figures below are for 1 Vehicle.

          • N1,264,941- GashakaGumti National Park
          • N5,700,000- Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency
          • N6,500,000- FGGC Owerri
          • N7,500,000- Ministry of Technology, Akure
          • N8,855,000- FGGC Gumi Tambuwal
          • N9,178,142- FGGC Umuahia
          • N10,000,000 FGC EzzamgboAbakaliki
          • N11,147,675– FTC Lassa
          • N12,888,016- Ministry of Health
          • N13,500,000 – FGC Okigwe
          • N15,970,515- Foreign Service Academy
          • N26,600,000National Security Adviser
          • N27,273,523- FTC Ikare
          • N27,660,000- FGGC Kazaure

          Last but definitely neither least nor strangest is this:

          N140,911,157 - National Troupe of Nigeria
          For more on how the #2016Budget is full of items which shortchange Nigeria, visit MukhtarDan’Iyan on Twitter, his handle is @MrAyeDee and his work (along with the work of many others) on the budget is under the hashtag #2016Budget.

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