State House Perm Sec says no new capital project in Aso Villa in 2017

The Permanent Secretary (State House), Mr. Jalal Arabi, has said no new capital project will be executed in the Aso Villa in 2017.

Arabi disclosed this when he addressed the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties at the State House.

He said the 2017 capital expenditure budget for the Villa would be used in completing ongoing projects, adding that the management of State House had re-prioritised its projects.

Arabi, who revealed that only N5.196 billion was released as capital allocation in the 2016 budget, said the amount represented 47.5 per cent of the total budget noting that, “a balance of N5.745 billion representing 52.5 percent is yet to be released,’’

He explained that the management would take advantage of the window provided by supplementary budget when necessary.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Nasiru Zango-Daura, said that criticisms often leveled against the administration of the State House especially in respect of the State House Medical Centre were unfounded.

He said that the management of State House should be commended for judicious use of the meager resources released to it.