SENATE STOPS N4BILLION FIRST LADIES MISSION HOUSE PROJECT

The Senate on Wednesday June 5th dropped the controversial African
First Ladies' Peace Mission House project when it passed the N259.65bn
budget of the Federal Capital Territory for the 2013 fiscal year
without approving the N4bn appropriated for it.
In February when the budget proposal was brought to the National
Assembly, it contained N4bn vote for the construction of the mission
house in Abuja, a development that attracted a lot of criticisms from
members of the public.
The Senate, during the second reading of the bill, questioned the
rationale of committing scarce resources to prosecute a less
importantstructure.
Civil rights groups and political parties had also berated the Federal
Capital Territory Administration for budgeting N4bn for the
construction of the building for a non-governmental body headed by the
wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.
They had contended that since the Federal Government had earlier
declared the mission as a non-governmental organisation, it would be
inappropriate for the same government to spend public funds on it.
Source: Punch