The spokesperson for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tope Ajayi, has refuted claims that Tinubu requested a presidential yacht. According to Daily Trust, this comes in response to the outrage surrounding the details of the N2.1 trillion supplementary budget submitted by Tinubu to the National Assembly.
The supplementary budget revealed allocations of N5.09 billion for a yacht, N2.9 billion for sport utility vehicles for the Presidential Villa, and another N2.9 billion for the replacement of operational vehicles for the presidency. The yacht was listed under the Nigerian Navy's proposed capital expenditure of N42.3 billion.
In his response, Ajayi emphasized that President Tinubu did not make any request for a presidential yacht, and he questioned whether such an item was necessary for the president to fulfill his official duties.
Ajayi further pointed out that the request for a yacht was made by the Nigerian Navy, which likely had operational reasons for the allocation. He called upon the budget office to provide a clear explanation to the public regarding the need for such an expenditure, especially considering the economic situation of the country.
Ajayi also criticized the simplistic descriptions of budget line items by civil servants, highlighting the need for improved reporting standards in journalism to enhance public enlightenment. He stressed that budget provisions for the State House should not be misrepresented as solely for the President and Vice President's use, as these allocations cover various state events, meetings, hosting of VIPs, foreign dignitaries, visits by other Heads of State, and bilateral and multilateral meetings that the State House manages throughout the year.
Comments