The Permanent Secretary, State House, Jala Arabi, on Monday, disclosed that the sum of N6.569billion has been proposed for capital expenditure, in the 2020 budget.
Arabi while defending the budget at the National Assembly on Monday, said the budget represents a 5.5 percent reduction in the capital budget proposal for 2019 expenditure of the seat of power.
Arabi, noted that the seat of power was still using some of the vehicles purchased for daily operations in the State House as far back as 1999.
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Arabi, who led his management team to the National Assembly for the defence of the 2020 budget proposals of the State House before the House Committee on Special Duties, said there is an urgent need to replace those vehicles as they have become very difficult to maintain.
“With the release of funds in 2018, some of the vehicles, especially security vehicles were replaced, spares purchased but we are still nowhere near our optimal level since no vehicles were purchased this year (2019),” Arabi said.
According to him, “the proposals are in line with our provisions in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) document, discussed and agreed with the Budget Office of the Federation, and is to be implemented over a three-year period.”
The Chairman, House Committee on Special Duties, Samaila Suleiman, while expressing satisfaction with the presentation, assured that the Committee would carefully consider the presentation.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary defended the State House budget proposals before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs.
