President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s spokesperson, Tope Ajayi, has clarified that the President did not request the N5 billion presidential yacht proposed by the Nigerian Navy.
This statement comes in response to the public outrage following the revelation of the N2.1 trillion supplementary budget submitted by Tinubu to the National Assembly.
The supplementary budget included an allocation of N5.09 billion for the yacht, N2.9 billion for sport utility vehicles for the Presidential Villa, and an additional N2.9 billion for the replacement of operational vehicles for the presidency.
The yacht was listed as part of the Nigerian Navy’s proposed capital expenditure of N42.3 billion.
Ajayi expressed doubts about whether President Tinubu actually needed a presidential yacht to perform the functions of his office, suggesting that the request for such an expenditure likely had operational reasons within the Navy.
Furthermore, Ajayi highlighted the need for more accurate reporting and transparency in budget descriptions, emphasizing that budgetary provisions for the State House are often misconstrued, leading to misleading headlines.
He urged for a better understanding of the purpose behind such budget items, which often encompass state events, meetings, hosting VIPs, foreign dignitaries, and more, rather than personal expenses for the President and Vice President.
