Federal Government will spend N400m on the purchase of vehicles for the nation's former heads of government and their Deputies in 2017

The Buhari-led Federal Government will spend
N400m on the purchase of vehicles for the
nation's former heads of government and their
deputies in 2017.

The Federal Government will spend N400m on the
purchase of vehicles for the nation’s former heads
of government and their deputies in 2017.

The figure formed part of the N9.882bn budgeted
for the Office of the Secretary to the Government of
the Federation for the year.

According to the details of the 2017 Appropriation
Bill currently before the National Assembly
obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday,
N280.099m was budgeted for the purchase of
vehicles for seven former Presidents and Heads of
State.

Further details showed that N120.090m would be
used to procure vehicles for four former Vice-
Presidents and ex-Chiefs of General Staff.

The nation’s seven living former heads of
government include Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.);
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari;
Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.); Chief Ernest
Shonekan; Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd.); and
former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The four living former Vice-Presidents and ex-
Chiefs of General Staff are former Vice-President
Alex Ekwueme; Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd.);
Gen. Oladipo Diya (rtd.), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and
former Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

The budget details did not indicate the number of
vehicles that would be bought for each of the
former leaders. The brands of the vehicles were
also not disclosed.

Apart from the leaders, the office of the SGF will
also buy N32m vehicles for offices and units in
the office.

The government will also spend a total of N170m
on the nation’s Independence Day and Democracy
Day celebrations which holds every May 29 and
October 1 respectively.

-Punch