The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, has clarified the issue bordering on the controversial Presidential yacht said to be worth about N5 billion.

Ndume made this clarification while speaking on the review of the supplementary budget on Arise Television’s Morning show on Friday.

The All Progressives Congress Senator representing Borno South said the presidential yacht had been signed and delivered but not paid for before the public outcry, adding that the Senate has since added the required payment fee to the student loan budget.

Ndume said, “We queried the amount budgeted for the yacht, but it was signed for a dollar rate, and the new rate isn’t favourable. The budget was predicated for about N435, and now it is over N800.


PUNCH Staff Mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day In Style | Punch
“The Navy also clarified that it is not a new budget. And even the House of Representatives moved the budget to the Student loan. The deal for the yacht has been agreed, signed, and delivered but not paid for.”

Speaking on the N160m for Land Cruiser SUV for each lawmaker in the National Assembly, the Chief Whip stressed that it is not a new thing for government workers to be buying vehicles for official duties.

He maintained that the price of the vehicles was also affected by the volatility of the naira to dollar rate, adding that the vehicles are needed for the lawmakers.


“The reason why we did not choose Nigerian-made cars is because they don’t manufacture their vehicles, but they assemble them.

“I prefer Nigerian-made products, but the Nigerian car companies are only buying the vehicle parts and assembling them here.

He maintained that the reason for the SUVs is because most Nigerian roads are not motorable, adding that these vehicles are the only ones that could help them carry out their oversight functions.

Recall that The PUNCH had earlier reported that Nigerians condemned a part of the expenditures proposed in the 2023 supplementary budget the President submitted to the National Assembly for approval, including a proposal to spend N5.095 billion on a presidential yacht.

Reacting, the Presidency said the item named ‘Presidential Yacht’ as found in the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill is not for President Bola Tinubu’s personal use.

This was, as it said, the naval boat bears such classification “because of the high-level security features.”

“What was named as a presidential yacht in the budget is an operational Naval boat with specialised security gadgets suitable for high profile operational inspection and not for the use of the President,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained in a statement on Thursday evening.

https://punchng.com/presidential-yacht-delivered-before-public-outcry-says-ndume/

Your father told you there is no money to feed a starving Family,

Only to come back home with a cruise Mercedes Benz to cruise around the city

iwaeda:



“The reason why we did not choose Nigerian-made cars is because they don’t manufacture their vehicles, but they assemble them.

“I prefer Nigerian-made products, but the Nigerian car companies are only buying the vehicle parts and assembling them here.


https://punchng.com/presidential-yacht-delivered-before-public-outcry-says-ndume/

This is a daft statement by the senator. He should make more research about what he's talking about so as not to disgrace himself again next time.

The SUVs that were bought for them were also assembled somewhere.

Una go explain taya.

The NL resident agbado miscreants should come and work for their 30k stipends and defend this one.

This corn3 must move forward.

Nigeria na chop make I chop. I just hope people who got the opportunity before us don't empty everything before we get there.

I was about to write on this yacht thing not quit long. But just had to pause. The question I asked myself on top which water are they going to use that cruise yacht? also, is the yacht necessary at this time that the economy is crumbling and most companies are moving out. I just even a company I know of with over 1500 workforce has opened a branch in another neighbouring African Country while they are relieving people of their jobs here in Nigeria.

Imagine. Things continue to destroyed under certificate forger Tinubu government

EyeCumInPiss:
Una go explain taya.

The NL resident agbado miscreants should come and work for their 30k stipends and defend this one.

This corn3 must move forward.

See dem 🤓🤓🤓
Omo' u really sabi those agbado miscriants

walai dem drive Buhari govt to the finish.

Oga senator there is no car manufacturer worldwide that does not assembly all it's part. No auto manufacturer produces all the parts for their vehicles

Ikaeniyan0:
This is a daft statement by the senator. He should make more research about what he's talking about so as not to disgrace himself again next time.

The SUVs that were bought for them were also assembled somewhere.

Senator Ndume is addicted to talking and it's not a very good habit for him

Our leaders are not there to serve public interest but rather their own self-interest

Akure ndume

Just hear your senator.
Nigerian bad roads
They assemble it.

Yen yen yen.

The laws you ppl are making,what way has it reflected on the common man.

Ensa777:
Just hear your senator.
Nigerian bad roads
They assemble it.

Yen yen yen.

The laws you ppl are making,what way has it reflected on the common man.