The State House Permanent Secretary who is also in charge of the Aso Rock Villa, Tijani Umar has told State House Correspondents that the facility lacked adequate funding to enable it function effectively.

He lamented that some of the facilities at the presidential villa had become obsolete as a result of poor funding.

Umar disclosed this while answering questions from newsmen at the weekend when the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs visited the Villa.

The visit was to ascertain the level of utilisation of budgetary allocation to the State House.

Umar said that out of about N8.699 billion budgeted for the State House in 2018, fiscal year, only about N5.083 billion which is about 58% was released leaving an outstanding balance of about N3.616 billion.

He told the Committee that in 2019, out of about N6.955 billion budgeted, only about N2 billion or 38% was released leaving a shortfall of N4 billion.

The Permanent Secretary stated that unlike the previous 2 years, the sum of N4.878 billion was allocated to the villa and all the amount was fully released.

The Committee then asked how the Aso Rock Villa management was coping with low funding, he said that, “First and foremost, let me say that we are privileged to be in this position, to be able to discharge these huge responsibilities and I’m also happy that you raised the issue of funding challenges.

“I would like to say that the State House needs quite a formidable level of support and improvement in the funding, especially because we are dealing with phasing out a lot of infrastructures that have come to the end of their lifespan.”

Aso Villa (officially The Aso Rock Presidential Villa) is the workplace and official residence of the President of Nigeria since 1991.

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