Another sum of N1.5 billion was budgeted for the construction of the Speaker/Deputy Speaker’s residences.
A SaharaReporters review of the Kaduna 2025 approved budget has shown that the State House of Assembly plans to spend more on constructing the Speaker’s and Deputy Speaker’s residences and on the purchase of 36 vehicles for lawmakers than what is earmarked for constituency projects.
According to the budget document, a sum of N3.8 billion is budgeted for the purchase of 36 Toyota Camry XLE Hybrid vehicles in the 2025 approved budget. Already, N1.5 billion was spent on the same purpose between January and September 2024.
Another sum of N1.5 billion was budgeted for the construction of the Speaker/Deputy Speaker’s residences.
This means that both the 36 XLE vehicles (N3.8 billion) and the construction of the Speaker/Deputy Speaker’s residences (N1.5 billion) are planned to gulp N5.3 billion.
Further review shows that only N4 billion was budgeted for “contingency funds for legislative oversight (contingency funds).”
This indicates that the state plans to spend more on lawmakers’ luxury than on constituency projects, which would benefit residents across the state.
Aside from the expenditure on lawmakers’ personal luxury, a sum of N1.5 billion was budgeted for the renovation and remodelling of the Lugard Hall complex, with N499 million already spent on the same project between January and September 2024.
This development comes amid concerns over developmental challenges facing Kaduna State and Nigeria at large.
According to data provided by the National Bureau of Statistics, 29% of school-aged children in Kaduna State are deprived of access to education.
The data also shows that 73% of households in the state are deprived of access to sanitary facilities. It further states that 64% of households are deprived of access to clean drinking water.
The state budgeted N40 million to rehabilitate ten boreholes, meaning an average of N4 million per borehole. The N3.8 billion earmarked for XLE vehicles for lawmakers could rehabilitate 950 boreholes, helping the state tackle the challenge of unclean water and ease sanitation problems.
The state also budgeted N40.5 million for the construction of public toilets. This would mean that the N3.8 billion for lawmakers’ vehicles could construct 940 toilets.
Follow the Sahara Reporters channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFClvtH5JM6SSsP7M2Y
