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    Wednesday, December 25, 2013

    FG’s Budget For Animals Sparks Debate On Social Media

     The Federal Government’s decision to spend the sum of N14.5m on two unnamed wild animals in the Aso Villa Zoo, as proposed in the 2014 budget, is the subject of a raging debate on social media.
    Apart from the sum, N8m was budgeted for the upgrading and maintenance of the State House zoo while the renovation of the horses’ stables and paddock will gulp N15m.

    But those who read the news online have described the proposed budget for the animals as a misplaced priority on the part of the Presidency.

    Reacting to the development, many Nigerians wonder why, despite the tell-tale signs of poverty and hunger in the country, the FG would give priority attention to animals at the expense of human beings.

    A reader on punchng.com, Momoh Abdul-Razaq, describes the budgets for the animals and the maintenance of the zoo as an insult on the collective intelligence of Nigerians.

    Abdul-Razaq dares President Goodluck Jonathan to prove to Nigerians that the budget estimates for the animals will impact positively on his performance in office.

    He says, “I have been working for close to 10 years now and I have never seen a million naira nor come close to spending same, yet two animals have over N14 m budgeted for them! What is my salary in a year? Do they know how many boreholes that N14million can sink in a Nigerian village or town?

    “Yet when you criticise them (FG) some people among us call you all kinds of unprintable names. How will the animals help Jonathan to perform his duties better? If the President needs relaxation alone or in company with others, can’t he go fishing?

    “Why do our leaders insult our intelligence like this? I cannot believe an animal has more money budgeted for it than a human being, despite all the efforts we put in at work daily. Honestly, I feel like telling them that God will punish them all, but I will not do it. Instead, I will say to them: may God reward you all.”

    As the debate raged online, a respondent on punchng.com, Babakeu, asked the President four questions that are centred on the controversial budgetary allocation for the animals.

    He insisted that Jonathan must provide tangible answers to the questions before the National Assembly approves the allocation, which he describes as reflecting the President’s “inordinate action”.

    Babakeu said, “I think that we should all ask Jonathan the following questions: What benefits will the spending of roughly N38m on the feeding, security and housing of two wilds animals will bring to all Nigerians?

    “Is Jonathan not receiving salaries from which he can earmark some money to feed and train his two wild animals?

    “Is FIFA organising a tournament in which every qualified country is invited to participate with their national teams of wild animals for the purpose of awarding medals?

    “Finally, are those two wild animals part of our national assets on which our collective wealth must be squandered or budgeted for?

    “If the above five questions cannot be answered by Jonathan, do we still then need this kind of extravagant fellow at the helms of the affairs of this country?”

    A respondent on Twitter, Bassey, says that in view of the current situation in the country, the budget proposals for the animals could only be tenable if the zoo project was meant for commercial purposes.

    “I see it that we are getting wild animals at Aso Rock. Is it another developmental goal of this administration to better lives of the people?  I’d rather they build a zoo with that kind of money and earn revenue from it. But I’m not a citizen who doesn’t know the way government works,” Bassey states.

    Expressing his anger with the Jonathan administration, one Oloyede Oyewale-Hastings writes on Facebook, “Our leaders are insensitive to the plight of the governed. How on earth can a sensible being wish to budget and expend such a large sum of money on ordinary animals while human beings that were created by God in His own image toil to eke out a living?
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