'N15 billion to build house for Veep Kashim Shettima? una never start' - Rufai Oseni queries Wike

Nyesom Wike FCT Minister, Rufai Oseni, Arise TV anchor

Rufai Oseni, Award winning journalist and anchor of Arise Television, has raised alarm concerns over the Naira 15 billion budgeted to build a new residence for the vice president, Kashim Shettima.

Recall that on Wednesday, November 29, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike while defending the N61.5 billion 2023 supplementary budget of the FCT before the House of Representatives Committee, said the plan was to give the Veep a befitting residence.

According to him, the construction of a new residence for the vice president was approved in 2010 by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the cost of N7 billion but the project was abandoned.

He further said that the current administration has decided to commence the project and that the contractor has reviewed the project up to N15 billion, despite the allocation of another N2.5 billion for the renovation of the current residence of the VP in the federal government’s supplementary budget recently passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President.

Wike said; The project is titled: “Design and Construction of Vice President’s Residence at the cost of N5 billion.”

“The VP residence that was awarded in 2010 at the cost of N7 billion was abandoned. It is embarrassing that a country of this nature cannot in 13 years, complete the VP’s residence. N7 billion, now the contractor is saying well, we cannot continue to do it without review. Now they are saying N15 billion. We have taken it upon ourselves to say that we will complete it and Mr President will commission it by May.”

Defending the cost and the intention to the lawmakers who raised questions on the planned spending, Wike said;

“The current residence was built by the military — the Aguda House. The government then said look, we want to build a more befitting residence for the vice president, and that was in 2010.

“The contract was awarded at the cost of N7 billion. It is just like what we are building for the presiding officers of the National Assembly—you can see that it has been abandoned because of no funding. We believe that we are going to incorporate it into our own statutory budget. Let us finish it even if they don’t want to use it.

“We are not renovating. It is a new job that was approved in 2010. We are saying that we should be able to finish it and we will commission it in May 2024,” he said.

As a result, some concerned Nigerians took to social media to share their thoughts.

Rufai Oseni wrote on his X page on Friday, December 1, "15 billion to build house for VP. Una neva start!!!"

His post has since sparked an uproar on social media with many Nigerians sharing their thoughts;

@JakesOlasupo: If the VP's house is going to be 15 billion, how much is Tinubu's house going cost? Shettima didn't build a house when he was a governor mana?

@AhuchaoguOgo: See how these politicians are calling billions like balloons.

@Chimacoeche: Na only house they wan build for 8 years, for BAAAAT, for RAAT, vP, vP wife, children and their relatives

@SilasWils: On that mandate they're still standing... All of you that supported this evil.... Hope you're all getting a 15billion house too

@Gospeladumo1: That's what we see. No one can challenge it because they got everyone in the pocket. The judiciary, legislators and the security outfits including the anti-graft agencies. Nigeria is gone.

@MaziOgbonnia: Where have all the VP's living before?

@princechioke: What a mockery of a government?!

@oloyeyoung: They want to renew our hope. How much longer will this deceptive sense of hopelessness persist? The country is already on the brink of bankruptcy.. This country is about to fold ooooooo