EXCLUSIVE: Despite hard times, Lagos Assembly squanders N35.66bn on vehicles for lawmakers
Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Despite hard times, the sum of N35,665,334,793.62 was earmarked to purchase brand new vehicles for 40 lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
This is contained in the approved budget signed into law by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu which is currently being operational.
PM NEWS’ perusal into the official document reveals that the governor initially budgeted N21.997 billion for the lawmakers to purchase vehicles, but the Assembly jacked it up to N35.665 billion.
The money is for the purchase of back up vehicles for the 40 lawmakers, utility buses and official vehicles.
In 2023 budget, the lawmakers had a budget of N32,565,334,794 to purchase vehicles, but the figures moved to N35.665 billion in 2024.
Also of note is that N150 million was earmarked in the budget for the renovation of the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa’s official residence/guest house, while N50 million was budgeted for the construction of the Lagos State House of Assembly visitors’ toilets.
The sum of N50 million was also earmarked for the marble wall finishing for the Speaker and Clerk’s office blocks, while N100 million is for renovation/equipping the House of Assembly’s library.
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The sum of N700 million has been budgeted for the provision of official residential quarters/guest house, just as N10 billion was earmarked for the construction of new office block at the Assembly.
The House of Assembly is also to spend N1 billion to purchase and install new generators and spend N200 million for construction of ramps and N300 million for purchase of security equipment.
More so, in the budget, the House of Assembly jacked up its expenditures from N51.149 billion initially proposed by the governor to N70.443 billion, while salaries and wages will gulp N83.8 million.
The lawmakers will spend N75 million on office stationeries/computer consumables while their honorarium and sitting allowance will gulp N120 million, just as committees and commissions expenses have been pegged at N155 million.
The lawmakers will also spend N1.22 billion to purchase residential buildings. They will further spend N250 million on celebrations and ceremonies, which represents a fall from the N500 million budgeted for them in the 2023 budget. They will also spend N20 million as ceremonial outfits expenses.
The running cost of the lawmakers in 2024 is put at N1.144 billion, while N16 million will go for their upkeep and maintenance allowance, just as N533.4 million will go for servicing of meetings and N5.346 billion for special duties expenses.
