The Senate has cancelled the N4 billion budget allocated for the construction of Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan’s pet project, African First Ladies Peace Mission building.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Smart Adeyemi, stated this on Wednesday, while confirming that the Senate had passed the Abuja budget for 2013.
He said the proposed N4 billion for construction of the first ladies mission building in Africa was distributed to critical needs in satellite towns. He said the money to be spent on the mission building could not be approved due to litigation on the proposed land.
Mr Adeyemi said the Senate could not appropriate funds for a land that was not available.
He said, “It is worthy of note that the proposed appropriation for the construction of the building for First Ladies Mission in Africa has been distributed to meet pressing needs in the area of engineering and Satellite towns.
“Furthermore, due to litigation in respect of the proposed plot of land, the money cannot be accessed this year. Also, we cannot appropriate for a land that is not available.”
An Abuja court had ruled that the land proposed by the FCT ministry for the first ladies’ building belonged to an organisation owned by Turai Yar’Adua, after a protracted muddy legal battle.
The Abuja Minister, Bala Mohammed, had revoked the choice land from Mrs. Yar’Adua’s organisation and given it to first ladies’ mission; a decision the court upturned.
Senators had in January described as “scandalous” the N4 billion budgets contained in the FCT 2013 budget which was unanimously passed on Wednesday.
The Senate approved a N259, 649,520,705 budgets for the FCT for 2013, with a surplus of N48, 716,036.
The FCT’s 2013 approved budget has N48,600,837,245 voted for personnel costs; N50,581,234,058 for overhead costs and the balance of N160,467, 499,402 is for capital projects for the service of the FCT commencing from January 1 and ending on December 31, 2013.