'Institutional embarrassment' - Nigerians react to N5bn budget for Presidential yatch, others

The Federal Government on Monday approved a N2.18tn supplementary budget for the 2023 fiscal year.

According to FG, the supplementary funding was also targeted at providing welfare packages for workers and Nigerians at large, according to Punch report.

However, the figures show that the Bola Tinubu-led administration plans to spend N5.095 billion on a presidential yacht.

The administration also plans to spend N2.9 billion on sports utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the Presidential Villa, N1.5 billion on cars for the Office of the First Lady, and an additional N2.9 billion on replacing the presidency's operational vehicles, among others, according to the 2023 supplemental proposal.

What Nigerians are saying

FinPlanKaluAja1 said, "In what world does a Nation seeking Wall Street and possibly an IMF bridge loan buy a $5m Presidential Yacht? How was this line item defended by the Nigerian Navy and this minister befo

theairbuser wrote, “This has to be a joke. 5bn for the presidential yacht? Is there water in Abuja? What does the president want to do with a yacht in this messed-up economy? And they will be talking sh*t about citizens making sacrifices”

UkomahM commented, "Emilokan Tinubu budgets 5 billion for Presidential Yatch and 5.5 billion for students’ loans. Yet, there’s no money in Nigeria. This regime will favour me and my family."

mamatii001 stated, "Can these parrots called patriots stop being f00/ish? The presidential yacht being mentioned in the budget is for the military. The name is the presidential yacht, not the yacht of the president. It is part of military requirements to do their job and it is under military expenses. All these cut-and-paste journalism will just put dust in our brain."

bummiearo pointed out, "For clarity, check the expenditure line here. It's under the Nigerian Navy. They are buying a Presidential yacht and not a yacht for the President. It's a name for the Yatch, just like we have a Presidential suite in hotels. Our media will scatter this country with propaganda."

frank_uriah said, "5.5 billion Presidential hatches in Nigeria, bikonu, who do we offend in this country? Presidential Yatch for what exactly?"