An analysis of the 2024 Fiscal Appropriation Act (2024 approved budget), has revealed that the President Bola Tinubu’s administration allocated the sum of N2,820,000,000 (N2.8 billion) to the National Institute of Construction Technology and Management (NICTM), a Federal Polytechnic located at Uromi in Edo State, to construct traditional palaces, police station and police quarters, roads and street lights in Osun, Cross River and Edo states.

Other projects outside the polytechnic’s jurisdiction which the government allocated the funds for are; supply of motorcycles to traders in Bayelsa State, supply of operational vehicles to community vigilantes in Katsina, building of health centre in Osun, and construction and repair of soak-away in Delta State.

Operating under the Federal Ministry of Education, NICTM was established by the federal government of Nigeria “To produce middle and high-level manpower for the nation’s economic and industrial growth in the areas of construction technology, applied sciences and management sciences.”

The polytechnic has the vision “To be a top-notch TVET Institution committed to raising a new generation of creative leaders in construction and related fields of endeavor,” and the mission “To create knowledge to drive the construction industry via hands-on skill-driven curricula; employing innovative methods in handling technical, vocational, and education and training of new generation leaders.”

By implication of the school’s vision, mission and the Rector’s statement on the institution’s website, it is clear that the school has no business with construction of traditional palaces, construction of police stations and police quarters, construction and repair of soak-away, construction of street lights or supply of vehicles to either community vigilantes or traders.

However, Newsmen’ analysis of the approved 2024 budget showed that with a total budget of N20,650,099,213, President Tinubu’s administration budgeted the sum of N300 million under the polytechnic for “Construction and renovation of Emu Onojie traditional palace, Esan South East and Oria Onojie traditional palace, Esan South East,” in Edo State.

The sum of N900 million was allocated to the school for “On-going construction of Ibil road, Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross River State.”

A sum of N500 million was allocated to the institution for “Construction of solar street lights in Yala communities of Cross River state,” while another N400 million was budgeted under the school for “Construction of solar street lights in Idum, Odajie, Egbe, Ogberia communities in Cross River State.”

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Also, N50 million was allocated to the school for “Construction and repair of soak-away and installation of 3-in-1 K-integrated solar street lights at Sapele prisons in Sapele Local Government Area, Delta Central Senatorial District, Delta State.”

A sum of N300 million was budgeted under NICTM for “Supply of motorcycles and other empowerment equipment in selected communities in Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Bayelsa State,” and “Construction of township road at Banye, Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi Federal Constituency of Katsina State.”

Similarly, N100 million was allocated to the institution for “Supply of mobility operational vehicles at satisfactory condition to be utilised by communities’ watchers in effective way to tackle the security challenges within Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi federal constituency of Katsina state.”

Another N50 million was budgeted for “Supply of motorcycles to ease transportation by traders to cushion the effect of subsidy removal within Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi federal constituency of Katsina state.”

Tinubu’s government in the 2024 Fiscal Appropriation Act also allocated N100 million to the polytechnic for “Building and furnishing of a police station at Oguro town in Ejigbo Local Government Area of Osun West Senatorial District,” and N20 million for “Construction of quarter guard in police area command, Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area and construction of security house at community Centre, Igbodo, Ika North East Local Government Area, Delta State.”

The sum of N100 million was also allocated to the school for “Rehabilitation and equipping of a comprehensive health Centre in Ede,” in Osun State.