TheCable

Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power, will be getting at least N11.5 billion as its allocation in the 2018 budget.

Of that amount, N45.68 million was budgeted for power plants and generator fuel. N45.54 million was budgeted for the same item in the 2017 budget, N140,000 lesser than that of this year.

Also, a total of N1 billion was budgeted for the Aso Rock Medical Centre, while it got N331.7 million during the 2017 fiscal year, thus an extra allocation of N668.2 million.

This is different from the N36.8 million meant for “drugs and medical supplies” for the state house – and yes, the N1 billion covers a sum of N208.3 million meant for the same purpose.

There is also a separate N51.8 million budgeted as “medical expenses” for the seat of power, and  another N15.8 million allocated for “digital medical references”.

Last year, TheCable found out that the state house clinic – not used by the president who seeks medical attention abroad – did not have the commonest of medications, paracetamol, syringe, cotton wool etc.

The sum of N907.1 million was budgeted for the purchase of new vehicles for Aso Rock while N165 million would be used for the maintenance of existing ones. In 2017, N100.8 million was used for purchase of new vehicles while N188 million was budgeted for maintenance of available ones.

A total of N28 million was budgeted for the state house ranch as well as for “wildlife conservation capture”, while the garden, “routine floral arrangement” and upgrade of helipad grassfield got N24 million.