The provision of N5.09 billion for a presidential boat in the Federal Government’s N2.1 trillion supplementary budget has generated debate.
The yacht is included in the Nigerian Navy’s anticipated N42.3 billion capital budget.
The government also intends to spend N12.5 billion on the Presidential Air Fleet.
A Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-800 or NAF 001), one Gulfstream 550, one Gulfstream V (Gulfstream 500), two Falcons 7X, one Hawker Sidley 4000, two AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters, and two AgustaWestland AW 101 helicopters comprise the presidential fleet.
Remember that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government submitted a N2.1 trillion budget to the National Assembly on Monday, after the approval of the Federal Executive Council.
The budget received a second reading in the Senate and House of Representatives less than 24 hours later.
However, the budget’s provisions have sparked more debate among Nigerians.
According to Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, some budget items defy logic and are best defined as callous.
“This is financial rashness.” Nigerians are suffering, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration appears unconcerned,” he remarked.
According to Kabir Isah, an Abuja-based public affairs analyst, the government may need to borrow more to pay the budget.
“The government should be looking for ways to increase revenue rather than spending the lean revenues on irrelevant items,” he added. It’s much terrible to learn that there are no plans to support our local automakers.”
Meanwhile, Woye, a social media analyst on X, confirmed that the presidential yacht is owned by the Nigerian Navy, not Tinubu.
The Nigerian Navy, not Tinubu, owns the Presidential Yacht.” The history of procurement and approval predates Buhari; the Nigerian Navy’s budgetary request can be accepted or rejected by the National Assembly. “During the previous Federal Government, the Nigerian Navy proposed N3.3 billion to buy presidential yachts, not Former President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said on his official X Twitter.
