*Senators kick


... And the destitute too * Another N4bn for First Lady's building*Sambo's Guest House gets N150m vote


From ADETUTU FOLASADE-KOYI, Abuja


Angry Senators yesterday queried a N4 billion private project, First Ladies Mission, of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, which would be constructed with public funds. The lawmakers described the N4 billion vote in the N253, 199, 752, 409 budget of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for 2013 as not only scandalous, but also an endorsement of an illegality as the office does not exist in the 1999 Constitution.


Another N5 billion was also earmarked to rehabilitate prostitutes and destitute in the FCT. The budget scaled the crucial Second Reading in the Upper Legislative Chamber yesterday. The sum of N150 million would be spent by the FCT Ministry to renovate the Guest House of Vice President Namadi Mohammed Sambo. Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba in the lead debate said that "the sum of N4 billion is proposed for the construction of First Ladies Mission building.


Also, N150 million is set aside for the renovation of Vice President's Guest House in Asokoro." Leading the opposition against the votes, Deputy Majority Leader Abdul Ningi insisted that, "N150 million is too much for the renovation of the Vice President's Guest House in Asokoro.


How much is the building that it will now gulp N150 million for renovation?" Vice Chairman of the Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Babajide Omoworare also kicked against the expenditure, saying: "I'm worried about the provision of bogus figures (and) there's a lot of disconnect. This budget hasn't shown the reality of what's happening in and around Abuja.


Provision of N4 billion for building a mission office for the First Lady is scandalous. "The Women Development Centre is there for the First Lady to do anything she wants to do and I'm not aware that there's a First Ladies Mission office in the United States of America where we copied the presidential system of government. There is no such building in South Africa and even Ghana that is our neighbour. "Four billion naira can be used for a lot of other things.


We have not set our priorities right. I'm of the view that the committee should look into this. Again, I remember that in this chamber last year, we voted N1 billion only for new federal universities yet, we are being asked to appropriate N4 billion for an office that's alien to the Constitution…." Taking it up from there, Vice Chairman of the Establishment and Public Service Committee, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, also expressed umbrage at some proposals in the FCT budget.


"I'm worried and I hope that those of us who are leaders in this country do not take the youths for granted. How can we vote N4 billion for the Office of the First Lady? I just pray and hope that this doesn't get to the public because if it does, we are in trouble.


"How can you appropriate money for an office that's not known to the Constitution? Nigerians will not forgive us for appropriating money for an office that doesn't exist in Nigeria. The First Ladies Mission office is not even a place that would be used everyday; it will be used periodically! All of us sitting here must not allow this thing to go through," he said.


Earlier, Ndoma-Egba told his colleagues that N5 billion would be expended to rehabilitate prostitutes and destitute in the FCT, among other expenses. He said: "The sum of N50.5 billion is proposed for the development of the transport sector. Out of this amount, there is a Chinese loan of N44.5 billion for the construction of Abuja's 60.37 standard gauge rail track with ancillary facilities.


The secretariat is saddled with the responsibility of promoting social activities like sports, arts and culture, tourism, empowerment programmes, rehabilitate prostitutes and destitute, etc in the territory. In 2013, the total sum of N5 billion is earmarked to address some of the social menace within the FCT." In his closing remarks, Senate President David Mark urged the Senator Bala Mohammed-led FCT Ministry to set its priorities in the budget right rather than starting projects that would not be 90 per cent completed at the end of every fiscal year. "You've all made very valid contributions.


I think the main problem with the budget is getting our priorities right. Some issues have come to the forefront that shouldn't come to the forefront. I'm wary of completing some projects haphazardly…" Mark said.

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