Money Buhari allocated for his kitchen on 2017 Budget will pay salaries of 10,000 Nigerians – Ben Bruce

Senator representing Bayelsa East, Ben Murry Bruce has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari over the 2017 budget.

The lawmaker who took to his twitter handle @benmurraybruce frowned at the huge sum allocated for the running of the Presidency.

Bruce, a business mogul said the huge sums allotted to the Presidency could be used to cater for many Nigerians.

According to the lawmaker, “The N2.9bn voted for honoraria for the Presidency and its agencies in a recession can feed 1 million starving IDPs in NE for 2 months.

“The budget for catering equipment for Aso Rock can pay minimum wage for 10,000 Nigerians. What happened to equipment budgeted for last month?

“With the way we in govt treat Nigerians, I sometimes suspect that our people will prefer to go to hell if our leaders are found in heaven

“With a minimum wage of N18,000, the N250m budgeted for the Vice President’s gatehouse can pay the salaries of 13,888 Nigerians.”

Recently, figures of the sum allocated to the Presidency in the 2017 budget has become a subject of controversy.

A total sum of N1.6 billion was allocated to Buhari office, while N448.6 million was allocated to the office of the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Out of the N1.3 billion for the President’s office, N736.4 million is earmarked for international travels, N239.2 million for local travels and N5.6million for postages and courier services.

Foodstuffs and catering materials are pegged at N114.9 million, the same rate as in 2016 budget, and N188million for general services. N53.8 million as miscellaneous expenses and N48.2 for publicity and advertisements.

For the office of the Vice-President, N218.2 million is for international travel, N88.3million for local travels, N53.4 million for foodstuffs and catering materials, N21.3 million for general services, honorarium and allowances, and N6.9million for office stationery and computer consumables.

Welfare packages stand at N24.4 million, publicity and advertisements N14.6 million, N5.7 million for sporting activities, N1.7 million for postages and courier services and cooking gas fuel costs N246, 000.