Wike allocates N10 billion for rent and furniture to Akpabio, other top NASS officials

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has allocated N10 billion for the rent and furnishing of residences for the presiding officers of the National Assembly.

This provision was included in the N288 billion supplementary budget President Bola Tinubu transmitted to the National Assembly in September 2024 and was swiftly passed within five days.

The allocation, titled “Renting and Furnishing of Presiding Officers of the National Assembly,” benefits Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, and their deputies, Barau Jibrin and Ben Kalu.

The allocation is the latest in a series of controversial expenditures under Wike’s administration, which has also included a N21 billion mansion for Vice President Kashim Shettima and N25 billion for the construction of houses for 40 judges.

Premium Times reports that the N10 billion provision has been classified under budget code 23010309, raising eyebrows over its lack of transparency.

Despite owning unfinished housing projects for these officials, the government has opted to rent accommodations instead of completing the existing structures.

In 2011, the government initiated a project to build residences for the four presiding officers of the National Assembly within the Three-Arms Zone in Abuja.

The buildings, though roofed and plastered, remain incomplete more than a decade later. Observers question why the N10 billion wasn’t allocated to completing these structures instead of funding temporary rent and furnishings.

Currently, Senate President Akpabio resides in a rented apartment in Maitama, while Speaker Abbas lives in the Guzape District.

The allocation has sparked outrage, given that the National Assembly’s budget for 2024 is a record N344 billion. Critics argue that the legislature could have covered these housing expenses within its budget.

Additionally, the lack of a detailed breakdown of the N10 billion allocation has fueled suspicions of mismanagement.