A sneak peek at the 2016 budget has revealed that the Office of the Presidency will gulp over N39 billion. The overall budget for the Presidency skyrocketed from N24.4 billion allocated in 2015 budget to N39 billion in the 2016 national budget. A whooping difference of N15 billion!
President Muhammadu Buhari’s local and international travels in 2016 is expected to cost Nigerians N1,415,706,197 , which is about N500 million more than the N944,672,109 his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan estimated he would have spent.
The Presidency is also shelling N3.6 billion on a fleet of new BMW cars, likely meant for presidential aides. Besides, N189.1m is voted for tyres for various vehicles, including the bulletproof and plain Mercedes Benz cars being used in the Presidency.
The expenditure on tyres is to cover other brands of vehicles, including Toyota cars, trucks, Land Cruiser Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Prado SUVs, Hilux pick-up vans, Peugeot 607 and 406 cars, ambulances and others broadly described as “ utility and operational vehicles”.
The acquisition of presidential canteen materials and kitchen equipment has increased from N83.1m this year to N89m in 2016. There is also a marginal increase in the N11m voted for supply of foodstuff and catering services in the Vice President’s office in 2015 to N16.6m.
The estimate for wildlife conservation also shot up, from N24. 6 million this year to N326million next year, although included is money to purchase of exotic animals.
A breakdown of the 2016 budget for the Presidency includes: general renovation of the Guest House (N387m); complete furnishing of the Guest House (N45m); purchase of computers (27.5m) and construction and provision of recreational facilities (764m).
Recreational materials totalling N12m are to be procured.
Other expenditures on the Presidency’s vehicles include N39.8m for the purchase of an unspecified number of 200 amps, 100 amps and 60 amps Mercedes Benz batteries for bulletproof vehicles.
Also N30m is to be expended on the purchase of tool boxes, car jacks, and diagnostic machines for the Presidency’s bulletproof cars.
The purchase of C-Caution triangles, fire-extinguishers and cables is to cost N27m.
