Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, and their deputies, Barau Jibrin and Ben Kalu, have been allocated ₦10 billion for rent and furniture in the 2024 supplementary budget of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES reveals.
The allocation, classified under the budget item “Renting and Furnishing of Presiding Officers of the National Assembly” with the code 23010309, was included in the ₦288 billion supplementary budget submitted by President Bola Tinubu in September. The budget was passed by lawmakers within five days.
Nigeria’s bicameral legislature comprises four presiding officers: the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Deputy Senate President, and the Deputy Speaker.
This development follows other high-profile housing allocations overseen by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, including ₦21 billion for a residential mansion for Vice President Kashim Shettima and ₦25 billion for constructing homes for 40 judges.
Observers note that the latest allocation highlights a pattern of substantial government spending on accommodation projects across the executive, judiciary, and legislative arms under Wike’s leadership.
These expenditures come amid widespread economic hardship in Nigeria, attributed to the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector and the naira’s devaluation. In recent weeks, multiple stampedes have claimed lives as citizens scrambled for food aid.
Critics have accused the current administration of maintaining “lavish spending” despite its calls for austerity measures. Notable expenses include a $100 million presidential jet, the failed presidential yacht project, luxury vehicles for National Assembly members, and other high-cost initiatives.
