The federal government has restricted journalists from covering the tour of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s N21 billion official residence.
During the inauguration ceremony moderated by Eugenia Abu on Friday, she revealed that guests like President Bola Tinubu would take a private tour of the residence, highlighting that media coverage was not allowed as the VP’s official residence was deemed private.
Among those granted access for a guided tour with the president were serving national assembly members, federal executive council members, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Chief of Staff, and the Julius Berger Team.
The decision to ban press coverage comes after previous criticism of the VP’s office for its N15 billion renovation and construction plans for the official residence, defended by spokesperson Stanley Nkwocha as a necessary project, not a wasteful endeavor.
During the inauguration ceremony, Nyseom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Captial Territory (FCT), disclosed that the federal government spent N21 billion on the renovation and completion of the residence, which was initially awarded in 2010 for N7 billion, abandoned in 2015, and later revised to N21 billion earlier in the year.
