Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs has queried the provision of N1.3bn in the 2012 budget allocation, to the State House for food, entertainment and furniture.
The committee described as outrageous the provision which also included the purchase of computers after Presidency officials presented the details of their budget to the committee on Monday.
It wondered why a whopping N500m would be allocated for the purchase of foodstuff alone.
It also raised the alarm over a separate allocation of N293m for refreshment in spite of the provision for food items.
The committee also flayed the provision of N265m for the procurement of computers, which had been captured in the 2011 budget and the N295m for furniture.
Raising some of questions, a member of the committee, Senator Isa Galadu, said, “The huge allocation for food stuff in a country where 70 per cent live below a dollar and 90 per cent live below two dollars per day is out rightly outrageous. I do not understand why you have allocated N293m for refreshment, apart from the food stuff allocation. The people are correct and they are right to show their anger on this.”
Chairman of the committee, Senator Dahiru Kuta, also demanded explanations from the Permanent Secretary at the Presidency, Mr. Tunji Olaopa, on the N265m budget for computers and the N295m for furniture which was for an unspecified residence.
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