Accountant-General of the Federation Ahmed Idris has put forward a N36 million proposal in the 2022 budget to combat antelopes, snakes and other wild animals.
Mr Idris presented his proposal at a budget defence session with the House of Representatives Committee on Finance.
Upon hearing the figure, the committee asked Mr Idris to explain the allocation.
“Cleaning and Fumigation which is proposed at about 36 million, we have offices in all the States of the federation. We have six zonal offices. We have our own headquarters,” Mr Idris said.
“We have the federal treasury academy which is an institution with a lot of bushes. Now, even at an average of one million per annum for fumigating these offices, I think that amount proposed is grossly low.
“The point I am trying to make is that the figure is not high. With 36 offices in all the states of the federation with six zonal offices, with our headquarters, with an institution which is bigger than most of the private universities we see with a lot bushes and forest because we occupy an expanse of land with about 70 to 80 hectares with buildings around, with snakes around, reptiles.”
The Accountant-General even claimed that his staff thought they once saw a lion near the office.
Chairman of the Committee James Faleke has invited Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Goodwin Emefiele to further clarify the proposal.
