President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and their aides will spend a whopping N15.961 billion on international and local travels in 2024.
This is according to details in the 2024 Appropriation Bill now being considered by the National Assembly.
The breakdown of the figure showed that President Tinubu would spend the sum of N7. 630 billion on travels, with the bulk of the money to be spent on foreign trips. If approved by the federal legislature, the President would spend N6.992 billion on foreign trips and N638.535 million on travels within the country.
The appropriation bill states that Vice President Shettima would spend a total of N1.847 billion on international and local travels. Shettima will spend N1.229 billion on foreign trips and N 618. 399 million on local trips. Another N6.484 billion was provided for Villa Headquarters international and local travels. It consisted of N 6.282 billion for international travels, N60. 981 million for local travels for training and N140.640 million for local travels. The Villa Headquarters was allocated N40.616 billion in the 2024 federal budget, with a capital vote of N12.497 billion, overhead of N10.334 billion, and Personnel receiving N163 billion.
Annual routine maintenance of mechanical and electrical installations in the Villa was allocated N9 billion, while another N4.5 billion was set aside for Julius Berger liabilities on routine maintenance for 2022/2023 and work as directed 2022-2023 inclusive of Kaduna work.”
The construction of the office comes for Special Advisers and Senior Special Advisers were allocated the sum of N3 billion. Another N3 billion was provisioned for the acquisition, renovation, rehabilitation and furnishing of State House Annex.
Despite the budgetary provision for operational vehicles in the 2023 Supplementary Budget, another N4 billion was allocated to Operational Vehicles, while another N2 billion was provisioned for SUVs. The rehabilitation of the Animal Enclosure in the Villa was allocated the sum of N45. 259 million while N130.076 million was allocated for the Villa Ranch and construction of wildlife conservation.
According to the bill, President Tinubu and his Vice, Shettima are to spend the sum of N5.128 billion on foodstuff, miscellaneous, honorarium, refreshments and repair of fixed assets, as well as on the acquisition of Computer software in 2024. The breakdown of the figure showed that President Tinubu would spend N254 million on foodstuff, while his Vice, Shettima would spend N348 million on foodstuff and catering materials supplies. The sum of N430 million is budgeted for the State House headquarters for the same purpose within the 2024 budget circle.
President is expected to spend the sum of N219 million on miscellaneous expenditures and in the same period, the Vice President would be spending N187 million also on miscellaneous items.
Similarly, the State House Headquarters would be spending the sum of 2,54bn on miscellaneous in the same period.
Further breakdown of the figure shows that President Tinubu would be spending N152.4 million on honorarium and sitting allowance, whereas the Vice President would be spending N67 million on the same item. For State House Headquarters, the sum of N365.8 million is budgeted for the Honorarium.
According to the bill, the sum of N650 million has been proposed to be spent by the President on repairs and rehabilitation of fixed assets, and the sum of N103 million is expected to be spent by the Vice President on the acquisition of computer software. In the same vein, the sum of N980 million is estimated to be spent on computers and repairs of assents by the Villa Headquarters.