Just In : Governor budgets N5.32 billion for renovations, meals at Government House
The amount is contained in Kano State’s 2023 supplementary budget and 2024 budget
The Kano State Government has budgeted over N5.32 billion for meals and the renovation of the governor’s lodge and some other buildings at Government House.
The amount is contained in the state’s 2023 supplementary budget and 2024 budget Governor Abba Yusuf signed into law last year.
Mr Yusuf had presented to the State House of Assembly a supplementary budget of N58 billion last September and another N24 billion in November, making it a total of N82 billion after he assumed office on 29 May.
The governor proposed the supplementary budgets after President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidies, presenting the federal, state, and local governments with more money.
In the first supplementary budget, the governor proposed N800 million for the renovation of his office at the Government House and N500 million for the renovation of his personal residence at ‘Kwankwasiyya City’ in the Kano metropolis.
Mr Yusuf also proposed N200 million for phase one of the construction of a new governor’s lodge in the same Kwankwasiyya City, according to the supplementary budget document.
The renovation of the office complex of the Government House was completed last December and commissioned by Vice President Kashim Shettima. The governor’s media aide, Sanusi Bature, in a press release at the time, said the government spent ‘millions’ on the renovation.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima commissioned the multi-million-naira redesigned Kano Governor’s Office Complex at the Government House in Kano. The edifice included a redesigned council chamber, an executive conference hall, and a VIP lounge with state-of-the-art office facilities”, Mr Bature said in December.
Mr Bature did not give the details of the amount spent.
Details
However, the budget document seen by PREMIUM TIMES, shows that N15 million was allocated for the construction of a Banquet Hall and another N15 million for the reconstruction of roofing at Coronation Hall, both at the Government House.
Another N45 million was earmarked for the renovation of the Coronation Hall and N20 million for the construction of a two-bedroom house at the Government House.
Meanwhile, in the 2024 budget, over N3.72 billion was allocated for various expenses at the Government House, including recurrent expenditure of over N2.5 billion, and N1.56 billion as overhead cost.
About N775,860,07 was budgeted for refreshments and meals; N77,586,206 for local training, N800 million for security services, and N800 million for unspecified services.
Also in the 2024 budget, N90 million was allocated for fuel and lubricants, N38 million for motor vehicle fuel; N47 million for plant and generator fuel, and N1 billion for capital expenditures.
The budget also allocated over N232 million for ‘travel and transport’; N77 million for local travel; N3 million for telephone charges; N3 million for internet access charges, and over N4.6 million for satellite broadcasting access charges.
The Government House also got N100 million for the purchase of photocopy machines; N100 million for fixed assets purchases; N1 billion for the acquisition of intangible assets; N500 million for Research and Development, and N500 million for special intervention funds.
A review of the budget by PREMIUM TIMES shows that Mr Yusuf is embarking on non-essential spending while promising to be frugal.
For instance, some observers said the renovation of the Government House and governor’s lodge at Kwankwasiyya City at a time when residents of the state are facing economic hardship is insensitive.
They argued that revenues accruing from the removal of fuel subsidies should be used to ease the pressure on the vulnerable, and other citizens.
They said Kano needs to make serious financial commitments to addressing the high number of out-of-school children roaming its streets and fix the crisis in its health sector.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), there are more than 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria with Kano having the fourth highest number of the children among the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Other allocations
While the government budgeted N5.32 billion for the Government House, it budgeted just slightly over N5.89 billion for agriculture and over N6.16 billion for water resources.
The Ministry of Higher Education got N4.12 billion while the mother Ministry of Education got N39.2 billion. But a breakdown of allocations to the education sector show that they are paltry in comparison to the amount earmarked for the Government House. For instance, the College of Education and Preliminary Studies got N2.54 billion.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso College of Basic and Remedial Studies, Tudun Wada got N1.9 billion. Kano State Polytechnic got N3.7 billion. The Informatics Institute received N150 million.
The state-owned university – Yusuf Maitama Sule University got N6,18 billion. Aminu Kano School of Islamic and Legal Studies got N2.57 billion. Audu Bako College of Agriculture Danbatta got N1,15 billion while the newly converted Sa’adatu Rimi University got only N5.81 billion.
The state’s Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) got over N10 billion, the Agency for Mass Education, N1 billion, Science and Technical School Board was allocated N4.44 billion, and the Senior Secondary Schools Management Board got N25.37 billion. Kano State Islamic and Qur’anic School Board (overseeing the Almajiri schools) got a paltry N577 million.
Under the health sector, N34 billion was budgeted for the Ministry of Health.
