The sum of N200 million has been allocated in the 2009 Federal Capital Territory Budget to complete the upgrading of the official residences of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and the Deputy, Usman Nafada.
Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on the the Federal Capital Territory, Atai Aidoko Ali disclosed this to journalists on Monday in Abuja.
Previous renovation was stopped in 2007, following the controversy that trailed the award of the contracts by the former Speaker, Patricia Etteh, at a total cost of N628 million. Before work was stopped, about N57 million had been paid to the contractors. The controversy led to the resignation of Mrs. Etteh.
Since assuming office on November 1, 2007, Mr. Bankole and Mr. Nafada have been operating from their private residences.
However, N200 million was finally approved by President Umaru Yar’Adua in the 2008 budget of the Federal Capital Territory, to complete the work.
Ali explained that the renovation did not continue because the contractors could not access the N200 million due to the late passage of the budget.
He added that the money was subsequently rolled over into the 2009 Budget for this year and assured that the money would be accessed.
Mr. Ali did not, however, disclose when the Speaker and his deputy would move into their official residences.
Speaking on a different matter, the lawmaker said the committee had summoned the Federal Capital Territory minister, Adamu Aliero, over alleged harassment and intimidation of operators of commercial parks, gardens and recreational facilities in the territory.
Mr. Aliero recently ordered that all parks, gardens and commercial recreation centres within Abuja metropolis, especially where food and drinks are sold, be closed by 7pm daily.
Mr. Ali said that the House had been inundated with complaints and a series of petitions about the minister’s hard stance on the operators of the facilities.
According to him, apart from allegations of harassment and intimidation levelled against the minister, mobile policemen are allegedly extorting money from the operators of the parks.
“We have summoned Aliero to know what he wants and advise him on how to go about it. We even had to jettison a motion on the issue to enable us intervene and talk to him,” he said.
The committee chairman further disclosed that a motion earlier proposed to caution the minister last week was later shelved following a decision to invite him.
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