By Emmanuel Nduka
While Nigerians are currently battling economic hardship, President Bola Tinubu on Friday commissioned the N21 billion official residence of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, which had been under reconstruction in the last one year.
Last year, the Nigerian Parliament approved an additional N15 billion to construct the building, bringing the total cost of the project to N21 billion.
And even as the Tinubu-led government has faced backlash over the construction because of the economic situation in the country, the president has chosen to defend the credibility and necessity of the project.
Stressing the importance of the project, President Tinubu explained that “the provision of a suitable residence for the vice president is not merely a matter of convenience,” but also “a symbol of respect for the office and the individual who occupies it”.
Represented by Vice President Shettima at the official commissioning on Friday, President Tinubu said the completion of the project is part of his administration’s commitment to complete all inherited projects.
“As we commission this state-of-the-art edifice as the official residence of the vice president, we are fulfilling a longstanding commitment and reaffirming our unwavering dedication to accountability, transparency and efficient utilisation of resources for the betterment of our nation.
“I hold a very strong opinion that abandoning projects after substantial expenditure have been incurred is inherently wasteful, and it is in the best interest of the government and the public to see them through to completion,” Tinubu added.
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Defending the high cost of the project at the commissioning on Friday, Minister of Nigeria’s capital city, Nyesom Wike, 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.
“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.
Heritage Times HT reports that public workers in the country are currently negotiating an increased national minimum wage with the government.
Last Monday, the two main unions in the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), shut down economic activities for 48 hours over the minimum wage.
