Senator Ali Ndume, the Senate Chief Whip, has revealed that the agreement, signature, and delivery of the N5 billion presidential yacht, which sparked public outrage, were already finalized before the public outcry.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning show, Senator Ndume explained that although the Senate had questioned the budgeted amount for the yacht, it had already been signed for at a dollar rate.
The currency exchange rate fluctuated, causing the budget to increase from about N435 million to over N800 million.
He however added that the Senate has since added the required payment fee to the student loan budget.
“We queried the amount budgeted for the yacht, but it was signed for a dollar rate, and the new rate isn’t favourable. The budget was predicated for about N435, and now it is over N800,” Ndume said.
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“The Navy also clarified that it is not a new budget. And even the House of Representatives moved the budget to the Student loan. The deal for the yacht has been agreed, signed, and delivered but not paid for.”
In his submission on the N160 million for Land Cruiser SUV for each lawmaker in the National Assembly, the Chief Whip stressed that it is not out of place for government workers to acquire vehicles for official duties.
The Chief Whip noted that the price of the vehicles was also affected by the unsteadiness of the naira to dollar rate, adding that the vehicles are essential needs for the lawmakers.
“The reason why we did not choose Nigerian-made cars is because they don’t manufacture their vehicles, but they assemble them,” he said.
“I prefer Nigerian-made products, but the Nigerian car companies are only buying the vehicle parts and assembling them here.
He maintained that the reason for the SUVs is that most Nigerian roads are not motorable, adding that these vehicles are the only ones that could help them overcome the terrible roads.
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Nigerians have kicked against some items in the 2023 supplementary budget including the N5.095 billion on a presidential yacht for President Bola Tinubu, which his aides have come out to say he did not request for.
Reacting, Tope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said his principal did not ask for the yacht.
“The trending issues on social media since yesterday are two items in the 2023 supplementary budget. One is the provision for a presidential yacht in the supplementary budget by the Navy and the other is over N6 billion for vehicles to the State House.”
“It is important to state clearly that President Bola Tinubu didn’t ask for a presidential yatch and I doubt he needs one to perform the functions of his office. From what I know, the request for a yacht, however it is named or couched in the budget is from the Navy and they must have operational reasons for why it is required.
“The budget office should be in a position to also explain to the public why such expenditure should be accommodated now, considering the economic situation of the country. I must readily admit that the one reason our budgeting system has been a subject of public attack is the very simplistic way some of the line items are described by civil servants, who prepare the budget,” Ajayi said in a piece.
