The House passed the N2.17 trillion supplementary budget on Thursday, November 2, after considering the report of the House Committee on Appropriation.
The chairperson of the committee, Abubakar Bichi (APC, Kano) announced the removal of the presidential yacht item, which was originally proposed by the executive, and said the committee had increased the allocation for the student loan scheme from N5 billion to N10 billion. He said the committee made the decision in line with the House’s commitment to education and youth empowerment.
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.
The Nation reported that the presidency’s media aide, Garba Shehu, had earlier clarified that the President did not request for the yacht, and that it was meant for the Navy.
He said the yacht was part of the Navy’s capital projects, and that the President had no intention of using it for personal or official purposes. He also said the President had directed the Navy to sell off some of its old vessels and use the proceeds to fund itsoperations.