Gombe gov’t denies spending N4bn to fence govt house

The Gombe State government has denied spending N4 billion to build a new fence to the Government House.

A stalwart of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) while promoting the governorship candidate of his party, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, on a local radio station had alleged that the Gombe Government House under construction gulped over N4 billion.

In a statement issued to newsmen Tuesday, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara, Special Adviser on Strategy and Information Management to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, revealed that only the sum of N1.6 billion was expended in the last four years in the maintenance of all public buildings in the state.

“In 2019, the sum of N650 million was budgeted by the previous administration for the construction/renovation of public buildings which we inherited but only the sum of N125.8 million, representing 19 per cent of the budget, was spent.

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“In 2020, the sum of N390 million was earmarked for the same purpose but N389.4 million representing 99 per cent was spent. Also in 2021, N700 million was budgeted and N409, 497, 859. 72 million was spent representing 58 per cent.

“While in 2022, N2.5 billion was budgeted out of which N691.8 million representing 27 per cent of the amount was spent. In total, the sum of N4.2 billion was budgeted for the construction and renovation of all public buildings in the last four years out of which the government was able to spend only N1.6 billion representing 38 per cent of the amount,” he explained.