New VP Residence Will Be Put To Other Uses – Osinbajo
By Andah John
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the Federal Government would convert the new official residence being built for the Vice President to another use at the appropriate time.
Osinbajo said the project is expected to gulp over N7bn.
He made this known in a statement on Sunday by his media aide, Laolu Akande.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, Dino Melaye, had revealed recently that only the security post in the building will gulp N250m.
But Akande noted that the decision to build the new residence and the controversial gatehouse preceded the present administration.
He explained that Osinbajo had always said he was satisfied with his present official residence, Akinola Aguda House.
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
“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.”
