The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has questioned the Presidency on how the office of the First Lady would be funded following the appointment of 6 new aides.
The PDP wondered why new aides were appointed to the office which the president had promised to scrap.
A statement issued by PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan reads:
“While the PDP is still monitoring the implementation of directive to government functionaries on cost cut, the party tasks President Buhari to take the first step by immediately fulfilling his promise to reduce the Presidential fleet, as well as cut his over-bloated entourages and curtail the opulent lifestyle in the Presidency, which is daily flaunted before suffering and impoverished Nigerians.
“We invite Nigerians to note that the Buhari Presidency has proven to be extremely expensive and a major draining pipe for valuable resources, while millions of compatriots, who look up to government for solutions, wallow in hunger and acute poverty.
“The profligacy that permeates the Buhari Presidency had further manifested in the public fight between the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and President Buhari’s nephews over issues of opulent accommodation in our presidential villa.”
PDP requests for details of the presidency’s budget “despite demands by our party and other well-meaning groups in Nigeria. The failure to make the details of the Presidency budget public places a huge burden on the Buhari Presidency, particularly in the face of allegations of budgetary corruption and financial sleaze. Unless the Presidency budget is made public for Nigerians to see, any directive on cost cut remains cosmetic.”