Posted by Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff (CoS), has responded to rumors circulating about funds in the 2024 Appropriations Bill purportedly going for remodeling his official residence.
There were rumors that the CoS’s home will be renovated with funds taken from the N27.7 trillion budget President Bola Tinubu submitted to the National Assembly.
According to the sources, the Office of the Chief of Staff’s budget for 2024 represented a 97.5 percent increase over the N517.95 million it was given in 2023.
The Chief of Staff, however, refuted the rumors and stated that the 2024 Appropriations Bill does not include a clause “for the renovation of any residence for the Chief of Staff to the President” in a response that he shared on his official X Twitter.
Reiterating that “I live in my private residence,” he went on, “The amounts that online bloggers and fake news merchants have mischievously quoted are for renovations to the Vice President’s Lodge in Lagos and the Presidential Quarters in Dodan Barracks; they are also for updating the information management and communications facilities in the Presidency to meet modern standards and for procuring cars for the Presidency’s staff.
“The budget plan makes clear the amounts sought for these projects, and it doesn’t resemble the misleading online feedback at all.
This administration is open to public examination of government spending, which is why the budget plan is made available to the public.
“On the other hand, responsible speech and a fact-based approach are necessary for a constructive public discourse regarding government actions, as opposed to derogatory remarks and fabrications.”