Billions spent on VP's residential and guest house.

In three years leading up to 2013, the government has spent a minimum of N300 million annually to furnish and upgrade the vice president's residence and guest house, according to past and present federal budgets.

The biggest spending -N900 million- for the upgrade and furnishing was done in 2011.

That year alone, N500 million was channelled into acquiring, upgrading and furnishing the vice president's guest house at Aguda House, while a separate N400 million was spent on purchasing some more furniture and extending the vice president's lounge there.

In 2012, the government spent additional N437.1 million for the "upgrading and furnishing" of the same guest house, and squandered additional N112 million solely on "household equipment" for Mr. Sambo's residence.

The installation of Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) facilities at the residence, was completed at a whopping N202 million.

This year, the vice president's Aguda guest house and his residence were furnished at a relatively modest N75.7 million, while landscaping at the residence alone was done at N26 million.

A new guest house for Mr. Sambo, at Yakubu Gowon crescent, Asokoro, was also given N170.7 million worth of furniture.

It could not be immediately confirmed how much of the proposed works have been implemented after spending more than N2 billion, an amount enough to furnish at least 200 primary schools where pupils attend classes under tree shades and sit on bare floors. Such school furnishings are estimated at an average N10 million per school in the federal budgets.

Used differently, the amount can provide water in at least 200 Nigerian communities, based on the same budgetary estimates of N10 million community water scheme.

-punch