Amidst Hardship, Tinubu Commissions N21bn VP’s Official Residence

Amidst the economic hardship facing Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu on Friday commissioned the N21 billion official residence of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

It would be recalled that the National Assembly in November 2023, approved an additional N15 billion to construct the building, bringing the total cost of the project to N21 billion.

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, while explaining the high cost of the project at the commissioning on Friday, said it was awarded at an initial cost of N7 billion in 2010. He said the building was constructed to a level and later abandoned.

“This project was awarded in 2010, 14 years ago, and was abandoned in 2015. It was not until January of this year that we had a revised budget for the project. Now, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has come and within a year, he has made this project a reality. This is the hope.

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“It was in January this year (2024), that we had to review the project to N21 billion, from N7 billion, that means an additional N14 billion.

“For a vice president’s residence to take 14 good years and then Mr President, within a year, made it a reality; this is what is called, renewed hope.

“I, therefore, went to the president and told him criminals had taken over the place and the president directed that I should make sure that the project is completed,” he said.

Meanwhile, popular activist, Aisha Yesufu, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the commissioning of the Vice President’s lodge.

Yesufu said the lodge demonstrates that the current administration is only good at rigging.

She wondered how N21 billion could be spent on the structure without a good landscaping design.

Posting on X, she said the structure was shabby and an example of incompetence.

She wrote: “The incompetence is so glaring, even to themselves. How do you accept this shabby lawn?

“The N21 billion was not enough to cover landscaping? How do you come out of your house and the front is looking like a kids’ abandoned football field? Rigging is the only thing they know how to focus on.”