Senator Ali Ndume has revealed that the controversial presidential yacht, included in the 2023 supplementary budget, has been delivered but not yet paid for. In an interview with ARISE NEWS, Ndume clarified that the presidential yacht is not a new item, as it has already been delivered, and the decision to allocate funds for it in the supplementary budget was to meet the committed cost. He emphasized that President Tinubu is not a luxurious person and the Navy does not consider the presidential yacht a priority.
Regarding the luxury SUVs allocated to lawmakers, Ndume explained that the choice of such vehicles was due to the poor state of Nigerian roads, making high-lifted vehicles necessary for safe travel. He stated that the quality of vehicles is not the main concern; the objective is to enable lawmakers to fulfill their constitutional oversight responsibilities effectively.
While there have been criticisms about the choice of foreign brands over Nigerian automobile companies, Ndume pointed out that Nigeria doesn't manufacture vehicles but only assembles them. He expressed a preference for supporting Nigerian-assembled vehicles in line with his previous efforts to promote Made-In-Nigeria goods
