FG’s N5.6bn budget for Aso Rock repairs: What Nigerians think
Firstly for you to want to repair something, that means it’s in a bad condition or totally damaged, so I personally don’t understand the definition of the word “repair” when it comes to Aso Rock, because I have been there several times. The country is in a position where the economy is suffering, should such […]
FG’s N5.6bn budget for Aso Rock repairs: What Nigerians think
Firstly for you to want to repair something, that means it’s in a bad condition or totally damaged, so I personally don’t understand the definition of the word “repair” when it comes to Aso Rock, because I have been there several times. The country is in a position where the economy is suffering, should such amount of money be spent on the repair of Aso Rock? I totally disagree with the approval of the budget for that project, but yet again I don’t live in Aso Rock so I don’t know what they are repairing. Look at the state of the Abuja-Kaduna road where violence has been on the rise.
We lost an NYSC member recently. Look at the state of the NYSC camps. Do you fault youths for not wanting to go? In the fight against corruption, what is happening to the people that have been jailed? Somebody is killed for stealing N100, 000 and with clear evidence we go to court every other day for a case of someone that stole a billion. How much has been recovered? What has been done with it? Who has been jailed? Also, IDP’s need to be rehabilitated and the focus should be how we can generate funds to build this country again. 2017 is the beginning of a new dawn for the country.
Maiduguri has suffered so much and deserves a peace movement. Proposals will be sent out to state and federal governments, if it takes forever to be approved, I will use my last kobo to try and make Nigeria great again, His Excellency and the government, Happy new year, we gave you our all. It’s democracy “for the people, by the people and to the people” not “for Aso Rock , by Aso Rock and to Aso Rock”.
Yakubu is co-founder of Sabali Fashion
Kada Lawrence Ngbale
To the best of my knowledge, renovation was done during the time of Goodluck Jonathan. Considering the space of time, it’s not a place that will warrant renovation. This is a time for cost cutting. I personally saw a carpet in the banquet hall at number 10 Downing Street in the UK which was torn and I asked one of the stewards why it was looking that way. He told me that tax payer’s money is involves, so before the carpet will be changed it has to pass through parliament.
In my opinion, money allocated for the renovation of Aso Rock villa will amount to frivolous spending. At a time when the world is grappling with dwindling oil prices, the wrong in such is in the insensitivity to the plight of many whose hopes ushered in the Buhari administration. Spending on a fruitless venture at a time of dire need is unwise. A budget partly funded by borrowing must not be used in furnishing the lavish taste of the President while bread is increasingly becoming a luxury. Symbolic gestures are as important as words uttered in promise. Mr President must take heed lest he be the change electorates seek.
Ngbale is a Girl Rising Ambassador
Muhammad M. Muhammad
From what I heard, the villa gets renovated before every elected president moves in. If this is true, two years is too short for it to be due for a fresh renovation. We have security and public infrastructure issues to handle, like kidnapping and bad roads due for repairs since before we were born that ought to be handled. As long as the villa isn’t falling apart, it should not be a priority for now.
Muhammad is an entrepreneur
Anita Elabo Hunohidoshi
I got an information graph from a friend concerning the budget and I was shocked, because they did analyses of 2015, 2016 and proposed the 2017 budget. I felt that at a critical stage where a nation is struggling to survive, a common Nigerian will not understand because the money slated for Aso Rock is bigger than some state budgets. My take is that the budget is too big and it’s not realistic. If we want to do a comparative analyses of nations that have risen from the situation we are in, like Singapore and Indonesia, you will discover that they had to shut down on a lot of expenses to move on. There are a lot of excesses in this budget that was drafted. It’s clear that there was no consultant or someone professional enough because if you are going to do a budget you must do a feasibility studies. After that you come back to the drawing table and say this is what we have and this is what we want to do. If I am drawing a budget for my own organization, I will need to be specific. If you are not going to do what is there, don’t put it in the budget because the money will not come back.
Hunohidoshi is Programme Specialist for HIV and AIDS.
