The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Sunday said the Federal Government would at the appropriate time convert the proposed new official residence being built for the Vice President to another use.
Osinbajo said this in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, amid continued criticism of the project which is expected to gulp over N7bn.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, Dino Melaye, had disclosed recently that only the security post, also known as gateman’s house, in the building will gulp N250m.
This was revealed on Thursday by the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory.
But Akande said the decision to build the new residence and the controversial gatehouse preceded the present administration.
He said Osinbajo’s position had remained that his present official residence, Akinola Aguda House, is good enough for him.
He gave an indication that the 14 building in the residence which is already in about 85% completion stage would be used for another purpose.
The statement read, “For the umpteenth time, we like to clarify that the proposed plan of the immediate past administration to build a new official residence for the occupant of the Office of the Vice President, including the controversial gatehouse preceded this administration.
“The project which started in 2010, was initiated and funded by the immediate past administration, but had never featured in the two budget proposals of the Buhari administration: neither in the 2016 nor the 2017 spending plans.
“Any suggestion therefore that this project benefits our administration or that it reflects our spending style or preferences is not only misleading but blatantly false.
“Besides, the incumbent Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said publicly that he considers Aguda House, which he currently occupies, a befitting official residence for the Vice President and sufficient for his needs.
“While the project is now about 85% complete, the Federal Government, in the circumstances, will decide at the appropriate time what is the best use for the 14 buildings already on the project site.”
(Punch)
