Within the span of 3 months, the Federal Executive spent roughly N701m to investmrent the international journeys of the rustic’s First Woman, Remi Tinubu, to 5 international locations, Saturday PUNCH can verify.
Recall that during 2023, the Federal Executive allotted N1.5bn for the procurement of automobiles for the Place of business of the First Woman.
This budgetary allocation was once defined within the N2.1tn additional price range for 2023 authorized by way of the Nationwide Meeting.
A breakdown of the price range displays the federal government deliberate to spend N2.9bn on game significance automobiles for the Presidential Villa and any other N2.9bn to exchange operational automobiles for the Presidency.
Former Leading Pull of the Senate, Ali Ndume, then again, claimed that the N1.5bn budgeted for automobiles was once for the Presidency and now not for the First Woman’s place of work.
Alternatively, assessments by way of our correspondent, the usage of GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses Federal Executive’s spending, confirmed that the federal government paid out the sum of N700,707,532 over 3 months for the First Woman’s international journeys to 5 international locations, together with two African international locations.
On November 17, 2023, the federal government, throughout the Shape Space headquarters transit account, immune the sum of N77,659,888 for the acquisition of foreign currencies ($94,314) for the First Woman’s commute to america.
On February 24, 2024, the federal government, throughout the Shape Space headquarters transit account, paid the sum of N149,794,284 for the acquisition of foreign currencies ($152,831) for the First Woman’s commute to France on January 4, 2024.
On March 15, 2024, the sum of N202,386,198 was once additionally paid by way of the federal government throughout the Shape Space account for the acquisition of foreign currencies ($126,834) for the First Woman’s commute to Mozambique that pace.
At the similar age, the federal government paid N144,571,785 for the acquisition of foreign currencies ($96,118) for the First Woman’s commute to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 9, 2024.
The federal government, via the similar Shape Space account, paid out the sum of N126,295,377 for the acquisition of foreign currencies ($83,967) for the First Woman’s commute to London that pace.
Moreover, the federal government spent a complete sum of N314,231,472 on six programmes of the First Woman inside 4 months.
On Might 24, 2024, Rock of Ages Overall Occasions Centre Ltd won the sum of N131,921,786 for full-scale ornament of Shape Space occasions for the First Woman’s programmes for girls, adolescence, and kids.
On Might 29, 2024, the Shape Space paid N107,630,000 to Makeway Nigeria Restricted for the availability of multimedia and alike products and services right through the First Woman’s programmes for girls, adolescence, and kids.
This means {that a} general sum of N1,014,939,004 has been spent by way of the federal government at the First Woman’s journeys and programmes over seven months altogether.
Reacting, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Clear Management mentioned it was once out of park to spend one of these humongous quantity at the First Woman’s place of work, which isn’t recognised by way of the charter.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Government Director of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, mentioned the complacency of the Nationwide Meeting has criminally empowered the chief to spend the nationwide treasury on frivolities, and the one means Nigerians can restrain the unpleasant development is to constantly discuss out in opposition to it.
He mentioned, “It’s greater than profligacy. It’s in reality a misappropriation of price range for the reason that place of work of the First Woman doesn’t exist in our charter and isn’t meant to be appropriated for. So, each appropriation this is made for that place of work is prohibited. It is only as a result of our Nationwide Meeting is complacent. They don’t seem to be appearing their oversight purposes the way in which they must.
“Otherwise, everybody who dips his or her hand into the national coffers to fund any project that is not in accordance with the dictates of our constitution has committed an offence. If it is elected government personnel, it is an impeachable offence. So, it is out of place for such a humongous amount.”
He famous that the frivolous spending by way of the federal government has given the hundreds deny reason why to consider the diverse guarantees of lifting them out of the tide suffering.
“Nigerians cannot reason with the government because they (the government) have not set their priorities right. They spend on frivolities rather than on things that will improve the lives of the people. So, no matter how genuine the government’s intention is in redeeming the economy, they are not showing us those signals as of now. Nigerians should begin to agitate in the right direction, and constitutionality must be a sine qua non in everything the government does,” he added.
Additionally reacting, the Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekper, mentioned there’s no legislation within the nation that helps the First Woman’s place of work, and it’s grossly unlawful for the Federal Executive to deploy scarce nationwide sources for any task alike to the place of work.
He mentioned, “The first question you should ask is whether the money is provided in the budget and whether it is proper to make provisions for a purported office that is not recognized in the constitution or any law of Nigeria. I am not aware of any constitutional provision creating the office of the First Lady, nor am I aware of any law creating the office. So, what they are doing is clearly illegal. It is an abuse of office, especially if it is funded from the public treasury unless she brings the money from her private purse. But if it is from taxpayers’ money, it is an abuse of office.”