By Chris Udochukwu
Human Right Activist, Comrade Shehu Sani has reacted to the raging controversy over the N5billion earmark for buying of yatch included in the N1.2trillion supplementary bill paased by the National Assembly, saying that yatch cannot be a priority for our defence needs when troops in frontlines are complaining of lack of adequate basic weapons and even food to eat.
The former federal lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District at 8th Assembly wondered why the federal government and Navy will not focus on even drones or operational vehicles in the fight against insecurity. Adding that they should ask Tompolo the magic behind the success he is achieving with his men in high seas without the use of Billions of Naira worth of yacht.
Shehu Sani who stated this via his X account @ShehuSani (formerly twitter), said:
“A Yacht can’t be a priority for our defence needs. We have heard reports of our troops in the front lines complaining of lack of adequate basic weapons and even food to eat. Why not drones or operational vehicles? My question for the Navy; What is the magic behind Tampolo and his men achieving successes in the high seas without the use of Billions of Naira worth of yacht?
Recall that in reaction to public condenmation, the presidency said the operational naval boat with specialised gadgets referred to as Presidential Yacht in the 2023 supplementary budget is not for the use of President Bola Tinubu.
A statement by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, explained that it is called a presidential yacht by way of nomenclature because of the high-level security features.
He also said the boat was ordered by the navy under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and that Tinubu was only planning to purchase the boat because government is a continuum.
The statement came hours after the House of Representatives scrapped the controversial N5 billion presidential yacht from the supplementary budget.
The House of Representatives removed the item from the budget and transferred the allocation to the student loan component of the budget.
Precise Post recalls that the popular Arise TV presenter, Rufai Oseni had said “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.
