It’s to complete projects! State house defends N21 billion budget before reps panel

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, on Tuesday, defended the 2023 budget proposal of N21.1 billion before the house of representatives committee on special duties.

The Director of Information, State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, in a statement, said the permanent secretary was accompanied by top management staff members of the presidential villa.

Appearing before the committee, Umar said the proposed budget is aimed at completing ongoing projects which could not be completed with the level of budgeted funds in the 2022 budget.

He said the projects 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 also disclosed that the 2023 budget proposal of N21.1 billion is comparatively lower than the 2022 appropriation of N40.1 billion by N19.01 billion.

He explained that the significant decrease was mainly in the capital expenditure and is 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.

Speaking on the 2022 budget performance, Umar said the state house appropriation for overhead was N7.7 billion out of which the sum of N4.5 billion representing 58.3 percent has been released between January and July 2022.

He said from the overhead releases, N4.2 billion representing 93 percent of the released amount has been expended, leaving a balance of N311.3 million.

On capital expenditure, Umar disclosed that out of N29.5 billion appropriated, the sum of N23.3 billion representing 79 percent has so far been released while N16.9 billion has been expended leaving a balance of N6.1 billion.

The permanent secretary, while acknowledging the dwindling revenue challenges of the country, told the legislators that the state house is anticipant that the balance of 41.7 percent overhead and 28 percent capital would, nonetheless, be released before the end of the 2022 budget year.

‘‘This would enable us to undertake important budgeted commitments as well as complete some priority projects which are currently at advanced stages of procurement or completion,’’ Umar said.

On his part, the chairman of the committee on special duties, Suleiman Samaila, affirmed the commitment of members to scrutinise the 2023 budget proposals.

He said the committee would continue to interface with the state house management.