FG budgeted N14 billion for internet access and other utilities in Aso Rock.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed budget of N20.51 trillion for the fiscal year 2023, presented to the National Assembly last week, includes N14.8 billion for Internet access.
According to Naija News, the budgeted amount will also cover expenses such as stationery and telephone charges at the Aso Rock Villa.

The federal government provided a breakdown of the expenses, noting that N67.1m would be spent specifically on providing Internet access to the Villa, while stationery and computer consumables would consume N79m.

It also stated that N35.9 million was set aside for electricity charges, N306.2 million for telephone charges, and N40.6 million for water rates, respectively.

Personnel costs would consume N1.6 billion of the Villa’s total budget.

Meanwhile, N35m was budgeted for books and newspapers, with newspapers alone accounting for N26.4m and books accounting for N8.5m.

According to Track News, the overall approved budget is approximately N750 billion higher than the N19.76 trillion proposed in the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper.

The House of Representatives passed the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, which the President earlier presented to the National Assembly, on Thursday, ahead of the Federal Government budget presentation.

The passage came after the Finance Committee’s report was debated.

The House approved a total FGN expenditure of N19.76 trillion, which included total recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N8.53 trillion, personnel costs (MDAs) of N827.8 trillion, capital expenditure (exclusive of transfers) of N3.96 trillion, special intervention (recurrent) of N350 trillion, and special intervention (capital) of N7 trillion.