The contentious N5 billion presidential boat agreement that was part of the 2023 supplemental budget has already been signed and delivered, according to Senate Chief Whip Senator Ali Ndume.
In an interview with Arise Television on Friday, Ndume revealed this startling information.
The senator explained, “The amount (N5 billion) was included in the supplemental budget because the deal has been signed and delivered but not paid for.”
According to OBASANJO NEWS24, in the 2023 supplemental budget that was presented to the National Assembly for approval, President Bola Tinubu included a N5.095 billion proposal for a presidential yacht.
Nigerians have expressed fury about the presidential boat, calling it a waste of money on unnecessary luxury in light of the nation’s current economic circumstances.
Remember that on Thursday, just after the bill passed the House of Representatives, Abubakar Bichi, the representative from Kano State and chairman of the Appropriations Committee, informed reporters that the presidential yacht that was part of the budget had been taken out and added to the Student Loans.
In a statement headlined “The facts on the Naval boat in the 2023 supplemental budget,” Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, clarified on Thursday that the yacht in question was ordered by the administration of previous President Muhammadu Buhari.
The budget item referred to as a presidential yacht is actually an operational naval vessel equipped with specialist security devices meant for high-profile operational inspections rather than the president’s personal use.
“During the previous administration, the Navy placed the order for the Naval boat.”
