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The State House has allocated the sum of N10bn successful the 2025 approved fund for the installation of a star mini-grid astatine the Presidential Villa, The PUNCH reports.
This follows an summation successful the wide budgetary allocation to the State House Headquarters, which roseate from N47.11bn successful the initially projected 2025 fund to N57.11bn successful the approved version.
The further N10bn was traced to a leap successful superior expenditure, which moved from N33.55bn to N43.55bn.
A breakdown of the caller superior items reveals that the summation was solely owed to the planned star project, titled “Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid,” with a afloat allocation of N10bn.
The determination comes amid increasing concerns implicit unreliable nationalist energy proviso and the precocious outgo of energy for some households and authorities institutions.
The star task is expected to trim dependence connected the nationalist grid and bounds the interaction of tariff hikes connected authorities finances.
The PUNCH observed that energy costs person continued to soar, particularly for Band A consumers, who person astatine slightest 20 hours of energy daily.
In April 2024, tariffs for Band A consumers surged from N68/kWh to N225/kWh, representing an summation of implicit 230 per cent.
Although this was aboriginal adjusted to N206.8/kWh and past somewhat to N209.5/kWh successful July, it remains 1 of the highest vigor outgo brackets successful the country.
Institutions specified arsenic the State House, which autumn wrong Band A, person truthful seen their energy bills summation dramatically successful the past year.
The State House has besides struggled with unpaid energy bills. In February 2024, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company listed the Presidential Villa among apical authorities debtors, with an outstanding measure of N923.87m.
However, pursuing a reconciliation process, the indebtedness was revised down to N342.35m. President Bola Tinubu subsequently ordered the contiguous colony of the magnitude to debar disconnection, according to statements issued by the Presidency.
The incidental underlined long-standing issues astir powerfulness proviso reliability and rising inferior costs astatine the nation’s spot of power.
The PUNCH further learnt that the State House spent a full of N483.34m connected energy bills successful 2024, representing a 40.17 per cent summation from the N344.82m it expended successful 2023.
This is according to outgo records published connected the GovSpend platform, which tracks expenditures by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government.
An investigation of the information showed that portion the State House Headquarters made regular monthly payments to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, the largest outgo of the twelvemonth was a lump sum of N316.88m made successful October 2024.
The outgo was tagged arsenic a colony for “total outstanding energy indebtedness arsenic astatine August 2024,” indicating that the presidency whitethorn person accumulated unpaid bills implicit respective months earlier clearing them successful bulk.
In opposition to 2024, the State House’s energy spending successful 2023 was much consistent, with monthly payments ranging betwixt N28m and N30m, and nary recorded arrears payment.
Despite the little monthly amounts paid successful 2024, the October clearance importantly raised the full spending for the year.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has approved N311.09m arsenic the energy fund for the State House successful the 2025 fiscal year.
The fig is contained successful the approved 2025 fund and falls nether the subhead ‘Electricity Charges’ wrong the broader ‘Utilities – General’ allocation for the State House.
The simplification from the existent spending successful 2024 suggests a instrumentality to much mean billing oregon an anticipation of less arrears.
However, it remains unclear whether the 2025 budgeted sum volition beryllium sufficient, fixed the spending patterns of erstwhile years.
The determination to modulation to a solar-powered grid astatine the Villa is seen arsenic a cost-saving and energy-efficient determination that aligns with broader sustainability goals.
In summation to the star mini-grid, respective different projects marque up the superior allocation to the State House successful the 2025 budget.
One of the highest enactment items is the N11.92bn earmarked for the colony of liabilities owed to Julius Berger Nigeria and different attraction contractors dating from 2022.
This includes enactment done successful Kaduna, the VIP helping of the Villa, arsenic good arsenic inferior charges and discarded disposal obligations.
Another N6.04bn has been budgeted for yearly regular attraction of mechanical, electrical, building, and biology systems wrong Villa facilities, including the President and Vice President’s residences, offices, lounges, and the league and banquet halls.
The State House volition besides walk N5.49bn connected wide attraction works astatine the Presidential Villa successful Abuja.
Meanwhile, N1.83bn has been allocated for the acquisition and renovation of EFCC-forfeited properties, which are to beryllium repurposed arsenic authoritative residences.
Construction of a caller bureau analyzable for Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants volition proceed with N1.83bn successful ongoing funding, portion the renovation of 4 Army residences on Ali Akilu Crescent successful the Upper and Lower Artillery Quarters is expected to gulp N534.13m.
An further N120.28m is acceptable speech for renovation works astatine the State House information quarters.
Other cardinal superior items see N366.16m for the acquisition of PMS and ECM equipment, and N38.45m for the procurement and installation of auditing bundle tools and related unit training.
The State House is besides budgeting N73.35m for installation absorption services astatine the gymnasium, auditorium complexes, impermanent houses, and different residences, arsenic good arsenic N73.23m for the replacement of Villa’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Digital infrastructure and medication are receiving attention, with N50.26m allocated for maintaining the physics papers absorption strategy and N56.08m for the procurement of bureau instrumentality crossed assorted departments, including Finance, ICT, Procurement, and Audit.
Credit: PUNCH
The station Presidency budgets N10bn for star power archetypal appeared connected Nigeria Stories.
