Cross River Government Under Bassey Otu Budgets N1.47billion To Purchase Prado 28 Vehicles For House Of Assembly Members

A review of the Cross River State budget performance documents has shown that the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration has budgeted to spend N1.470billion for Prado vehicles in 2024 for members of the state House of Assembly.

For the amount, the state plans to buy 28 Prado vehicles for members of the state House of Assembly, meaning that each vehicle is expected to cost N52.5million on the average.
This expenditure is despite clamour for cut in the cost of governance.
It would also mean that the state plans to use 4.2% of its 2024 budgeted internally generated revenue put at N34.7 billion to purchase Prado vehicles for 28 members of the state House of Assembly.
To contextualise the financial problems of the state, earlier in February, Cross River State civil servants protested against their unpaid salaries, yet the government plans to spend N1.470 billion for Prado vehicles for members of its House of Assembly.
The state budgeted N60 million for construction of Irrigation infrastructure in selected locations, meaning that the money for Prado jeep can construct such irrigation project in twenty-four locations.
The state budgeted N30 million for electrification of Ezomozo (the highest amount for electrification program is N30 million) meaning that it can use money budgeted for Prado jeep for House of Assembly members to fund electrification of 49 communities in the state.
It also budgeted N42.5 million for construction of Obubra-Ogada road, meaning that it can construct thirty-four of such roads that has same stretch as Obubra-Ogada road in 2024 with the money meant to be used to buy Prado vehicles for House of Assembly members.
SaharaReporters weeks ago reported that the Bassey Otu-led administration spent over N1.6billion on renovating the governor’s residence and offices.
The expenditures took place in the second quarter of the year (between April and June, 2024).
While the government budgeted the sum of N1billion to renovate the Governor’s offices, as of the Q2, 2024, it already spent N1.1billion for same purposes.
Another sum of N500million was earmarked as spent for the renovation of the governor’s lodge.
In total N1.6 billion was spent within three months for renovation of governor’s offices and lodge by the Cross River State government.
In the same period, no money was spent on capital expenditure of the ministry of science and technology, only N125.5 million was spent on the ministry of power capital expenditure, capital expenditure for ministry of water resources stood at zero naira, that of ministry of mineral resources was zero.
In the first and second quarter of the year, the education sector capital expenditure stood at N1.6 billion, same as the amount spent on renovating governor’s offices and lodge.