The Ahmad Lawan-led National Assembly will spend at least N37 billion from the 2020 Budget renovating the Assembly complex, investigation by Igbere TV has revealed.
The N37 billion is captured in the N2.5 trillion budgeted for capital projects by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in the 2020 budget.
President Muhammadu Buhari had submitted N10.33 trillion to the National Assembly as budget estimate, but the parliament jacked the figure up by N264 billion before transmitting it to the executive for presidential assent.
Igbere TV reliably gathered that the Presidency had since set up a committee to scrutinize the adjustment made to the appropriation bill before President Buhari will sign it into law.
Meanwhile, the N37 billion earmarked for the renovation of the NASS Complex is different the N128 billion earmarked as statutory transfer to the National Assembly.
The legislative arm had also voted N100 billion for constituency projects in the budget, while earmarking N1 billion for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution by the lawmakers in 2020.
National Assembly Director of Information, Dr. Rawlings Agada, said only the FCDA could speak on the renovation of the complex and the amount voted.
Agada, who noted that the National Assembly’s edifice needed attention, wondered if N37 billion would be enough for the job to be done.
On his part, Senate spokesman Godiya Akwashiki said the increase in the 2020 Appropriation Bill was due to additional revenue discovered during the budget consideration.
