By Chris Udochukwu
The Presidency has reacted to the pandemonium generated by the inclusion of presidential yatch in the N2.17trillion supplimentary budget, saying that the yatch belongs to the Navy and not the president as rumoured.
It says that 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.
The presidency’s reaction was contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga made available to Precise Post in Abuja.
The statement titied : ” THE FACTS ON THE NAVAL BOAT IN 2023 SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET” reads in full:
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
However, in a swift reaction, the popular Arise television presenter, Rufai Oseni has slammed the presidency saying over the denial.
Rufai who took to his X account @ruffydfire (formerly twitter) said that the “gaslighting has started now they say it’s the Navy that made the request for the yacht like we don’t know that the yacht is a luxurious boat not an attack boat used in chasing pirates. The presidential plane too is run by the Air Force but it’s used by the President, So this yacht will be used too by the President. Let’s keep deceiving ourselves, he maintained.
