Presidential Yacht: FG Releases 4 Facts About Naval Boat in 2023 Supplementary Budget

Presidential Yacht: FG Releases 4 Facts About Naval Boat in 2023 Supplementary Budget

  • The presidency has broken its silence on the criticism against President Bola Tinubu for including the purchase of a presidential yacht in his budget
  • According to a statement released on Thursday, November 2, the presidency denied such claims
  • The presidency said it was merely a term given to the yacht because of its sophisticated security and technology

State House, Abuja - The presidency has clarified the criticism fired at President Bola Tinubu and the federal government for including the purchase of a presidential yacht in its 2023 supplementary budget.

A statement released on Thursday, November 2, by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the President on information and strategy, revealed that the whole narrative was misconstrued.

Tinubu, Yacht
The presidency has denied allegations that the proposed presidential yacht is for President Bola Tinubu's personal use. Photo Credit: NESG
Source: Twitter

The statement reads partly:

"First, we need to make clear that President Bola Tinubu's administration respects the views of Nigerians on all matters of public concern.

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"We thus consider it very imperative to clear any misconception and misunderstanding of the issues."

As contained in the statement, Onanuga listed four misconceptions attached to the alleged Presidential Yacht.

1. Not for Tinubu's use

Onanuga revealed that the term "Presidential Yacht" is employed for terminology due to its exceptional security capabilities.

He said the budget allocated funds for a vessel referred to as the Presidential Yacht, but it's a specialized naval boat equipped with advanced security technology designed for critical operational assessments rather than the President's personal use.

2. Buhari's administration ordered it

The president's aide said the Navy ordered the Naval boat under the previous administration.

Onanuga noted that President Tinubu has consistently said that government is a continuum, as he inherited both assets and liabilities of past administrations.

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3. How Tinubu slashed Navy budget

It was gathered that the boat payment request was included in the financial commitments presented by the Chief of Naval Staff's office to the Ministry of Defence.

The combined total of these requests exceeded N200 billion, with the President giving the green light to N62 billion.

4. Tinubu's commitment to securing Nigeria's waterways

Onanuga stated that President Tinubu's primary focus is to ensure the nation's security and its coastal waters.

He said under Tinubu's leadership, the federal government is increasing its investments to boost the economic productivity of our oil and gas, maritime, and ocean-based industries.

He said:

"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 benefit from the ongoing reforms that will undoubtedly lead to a buoyant and improved quality of life for all citizens."

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President Tinubu vows to sack underperforming ministers

In another report, ministers in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's cabinet have been told that their job is unsafe if they underperform.

President Tinubu made this declaration on Wednesday, November 1, at a three-day cabinet retreat in Abuja.

He assured ministers who perform have nothing to worry about as their job is safe and secured.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Segun Adeyemi avatar

Segun Adeyemi (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Segun Adeyemi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience as an active field reporter, editor, and editorial manager. He has had stints with Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Nigerian, and News Digest. He currently works as an editor for Legit.ng's current affairs and politics desk. He holds a degree in Mass Communication (Adekunle Ajasin University). He is a certified digital reporter by Reuters, AFP and the co-convener of the annual campus journalism awards. Email: segun.adeyemi@corp.legit.ng.