Deal for presidential yacht already signed, delivered: Ndume

Senator Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate has revealed that the deal for the presidential yacht, which is included in the supplementary budget, has been both signed and delivered.

However, the payment for the yacht has not yet been processed, and this is the reason behind the inclusion of the N5 billion amount in the supplementary budget, he stated in an interview with Arise Television.

He said, “The deal has been signed and delivered, but not paid, and that’s what brought the inclusion of the amount (N5 billion) in the supplementary budget.”

Background

Recall that the House of Representatives had previously rejected the federal government’s proposal to purchase a presidential yacht, which is budgeted to cost N5 billion as part of the supplementary budget.

The presidential yacht has faced public backlash, with many Nigerians criticizing the expenditure on such luxuries, given the country’s economic situation.

President Tinubu had presented a supplementary budget to the National Assembly for approval, including the planned purchase of the yacht under the Nigerian Navy’s proposed capital expenditure of $53 million.

The presidency, however, clarified that the item referred to as the ‘Presidential Yacht’ in the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill is not intended for President Tinubu’s personal use.

According to the presidency, the naval boat is categorized as such due to its high-level security features and is intended for high-profile operational inspections.

Presidential reaction

The statement from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, emphasized that the naval boat was ordered by the Navy during the previous administration.

President Tinubu has consistently stressed that the government is a continuum, and his administration inherited both the assets and liabilities of past governments.

The payment request for the boat was submitted by the office of the Chief of Naval Staff to the Ministry of Defense, with the approval of N62 billion out of a total of over N200 billion in submitted requests.