The government wanted to spend $6 million to buy a fancy boat for the president in Nigeria, but the group of lawmakers who make decisions in the lower part of the government said “no.” They didn’t think it was a good idea.
Many people in Nigeria didn’t like the idea of spending so much money on a fancy boat for the president. They said it was a bad move because the country is going through a tough time with money and it’s not the right moment to spend on expensive things.
The people who make decisions in the government decided not to spend $6 million on the president’s boat. Instead, they took that money and added it to the budget for student loans, which means they now have twice as much money to help students pay for their education.
President Bola Tinubu started his job in May and he said he would try to save money by not spending it on unnecessary things. He also wanted to make life easier for people who were struggling with their finances.
People got really angry when President Tinubu asked for more money from the government, and in that request, he included the plan to buy an expensive boat for the Navy. Some people, like human rights activist Shehu Sani, said it’s not fair for regular people to struggle while their leader enjoys a yacht.
Tinubu’s spokesperson, Temitope Ajayi, said that the request for the yacht came from the navy, and they must have good reasons for wanting it.
The budget was approved, but the part about buying a yacht for the president was rejected by the lawmakers. The budget also includes money for luxury cars and a new office for the president.
Some people are upset because they think it’s not right to spend money on expensive things like a yacht when so many Nigerians are really poor. They also say things got worse when Tinubu got rid of a fuel subsidy, which made the prices of fuel and other basic things go up.
A group called the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said buying a yacht is not a good use of money, especially when so many people in Nigeria are extremely poor.
The president’s spokesperson said that the president and his vice-president are not getting new cars, they’re using ones from the previous administration. The budget for cars is actually for hundreds of government workers and aides at the State House.
SOURCE:BBC