News
Presidential yacht delivered before public outcry, says Ndume
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.
“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 Ohibaba 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.
News
Police must pay transport fares, says AIG
” No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.
• The Assistant Inspector-General of Police(AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, speaking with transporters at Obalende garage, Lagos State, on Wednesday.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, has declared that officers must pay fares before boarding commercial vehicles, warning against abuse of authority.
Jimoh spoke on Wednesday at Obalende garage during a sensitisation meeting with drivers and transport workers marking National Police Day 2026.
He stressed that relations between police and the public must be based on partnership, not coercion, urging both sides to support each other voluntarily.
“No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.
Jimoh called for stronger cooperation to maintain safety and order on roads, insisting there was no conflict between officers and transport unions.
“I don’t collect money from officers. We don’t arrest people arbitrarily. If you have issues with any officer, report directly to me,” he said.
(Vanguard)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will leave for Jos tomorrow to commiserate with the state government and residents over recent deadly gun attacks that lefts dozens dead.
This was following Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s security briefing to the President on the recent violent attack in Angwan Rukuba, Plateau State.
During the meeting on Wednesday at the presidential villa in Abuja, Governor Caleb Mutfwang told Mr President that although security forces have restored calm after fresh disturbances involving looters on Wednesday morning, following the deadly Palm Sunday attack that left more than a dozen dead and many others injured.
He said that investigations are continuing to determine the identities or motives of the attackers who are yet to be apprehended .
Presidency source said that President Tinubu was initially scheduled for a planned trip to Ogun State to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport on Thursday.
From Jos, the President will travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday.
On Saturday, April 4, he will visit Ogun State to commission projects including the cargo airport.
He will then return to Lagos during the Easter holiday to commission several state infrastructure projects, including the Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge.
Before heading back to Abuja, the president will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission projects completed under Governor Duoye Diri.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will tomorrow embark on a visit to Jos, Plateau State, as the first leg of a five-state tour across the country.
The Presidency announced that the President has postponed his scheduled trip to Ogun State to enable him to commence the series of official visits.
Details of the remaining four states in the tour are expected to be released by the Presidency in due course.
The development comes as President Tinubu continues nationwide engagements aimed at assessing development projects, interacting with stakeholders, and addressing key national issues in the respective states.
Further updates on the itinerary will be communicated as the visits progress.
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