The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw the planned expenditure of N14.8 billion on internet access, stationery, telephone charges, electricity, among others in the President Villa, Abuja.
The frontline civil society organisation made the call in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
In the 2023 budget proposal that the president presented to a joint-session of the National Assembly on Friday, N67.1 million was budgeted for internet access to the Villa, while N79 million was budgeted for stationery and computer consumables.
Also, N35.9m was budgeted for electricity charges, while N306.2 million was earmarked for telephone charges and N40.6 million for water rates.
Out of the total budget for the Villa, N1.6 billion was earmarked for personnel cost.
Furthermore, the sum of N35 million was budgeted for books and newspapers, with newspapers alone taking N26.4m and books gulping N8.5m.
Reacting, SERAP said, “2023 Budget: We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw the plan to spend N14.8bn on Internet access, stationery, telephone and electricity in the Presidential Villa, and to reduce the spending, given the country’s economic situation and level of borrowing.”
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