Lagos Budgets N77.7 Billion To Run Fashola’s Office

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Thursday, January 30th, 2014

Ayo Balogun, Lagos

The Lagos State Government has budgeted N77.7 billion as running cost for the Office of Governor Babatunde for this year.

Lagos state governor Babatunde Fashola

The huge and staggering money is considered outrageous, as there are no breakdowns as to what the money would be expended on. The money was just simply named; ‘operational cost (executive).

The N77.7 billion took the lion share of the total overhead cost. Also, the government is earmarking N10.02 billion as subvention for tertiary institutions in the state.

Under the overhead cost of N146.7 billion, N1.84 billion has been budgeted for buying fuel for government vehicles, while maintenance of office buildings would gulp N477.8 million as local travel and transport expenses stood at N899.9 million.

The sum of N23.3 billion will be used in paying part of its outstanding debt for this year. The breakdown of this figure includes N922 million to be used in paying external debt loans and N22.423 billion to settle internal debt incurred by the government.

Payment of staff salaries and allowances for this year is N71.4 billion as the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA will spend N3.76 billion as transport fund this year.

The Deputy Governor’s Office has a budget of N779.3 million to be used in running the affairs of the office, while the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital has a budget of N5 billion. Also, the state government will spend N567 million to purchase stationery for government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, while utility allowance has been pegged at N902 million.

The state government is budgeting N143 million to purchase uniforms and protective outfit for its para-military outfits, such as LASTMA, KAI and Neigbhourhood Watch. The sum of N444.8 million is budgeted for Management Information System/ Information Communication Technology, ICT.