Senate Chief Whip and Borno lawmaker, Senator Ali Ndume has opened a new vista in the controversial N5 billion presidential yacht. It has been already been delivered.
And then the new twist from the Presidency that the purchase was initiated by the Navy and concluded by the immediate past Muhammadu Buhari administration . The bill for payment merely came to President Bola Tinubu.
Like the House of Representatives, the sum for the payment was moved to swell the to N10 billion the amount set for Students Loan.
“We queried the amount budgeted for the yacht, but it was signed for in dollar rate, and the new rate isn’t favourable. The budget was predicated for about N435, and now it is over N800.
“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 had been agreed, signed, and delivered but not paid for,” Ndume said as the Presidency gave clarifications on the yacht.
A presidential spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga explained in a statement titled: “THE FACTS ON THE NAVAL BOAT IN 2023 SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET.”
“Following public reactions over the provision for what is termed presidential yacht and other line items in the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation presented to the National Assembly, it is important to provide some clarifications.
“First, we need to make clear that President Bola Tinubu’s administration respects the views of Nigerians on all matters of public concern. We thus consider it very imperative to clear any misconception and misunderstanding of the issues.
“1. What was named as Presidential Yacht in the budget is an Operational Naval boat with specialized security gadgets suitable for high profile operational inspection and not for the use of the President. It is called presidential yacht by way of nomenclature because of the high level security features.
“2. The Naval boat was ordered by the navy under the previous administration. President Tinubu has consistently said that government is a continuum as he inherited both assets and liabilities of past administrations.
“3. The payment request for the boat was part of the committed obligation submitted by the office of the Chief of Naval Staff to the Ministry of Defence. The total of the submitted requests was in excess of N200 billion out which N62 billion was approved by the President.
“4. President Tinubu is focused on securing our country and territorial waters. The Federal Government under his leadership is investing more resources to enhance greater economic output from our oil and gas, marine and blue economy.
“In President Tinubu, we have a leader who understands the economic challenges being faced by the masses. His administration is working very hard to confront and surmount those challenges. Nigerians will soon get the benefits of the ongoing reforms that will certainly lead to a buoyant and improved quality of life for all citizens.”
