Senate Clarifies Position On N5 Billion Presidential Yacht

The Senate has stated that it did not approve the N5 billion budgeted for the procurement of a Presidential yacht captured in the 2023 supplementary budget.

Reports emerged on Thursday that the Red Chamber had approved the payment for the sailing boat, while the House of Representatives scrapped the item from the budget and added it to the budget for the Student Loan.

Clarifying the position of the Senate in an interview with The Punch, the Senate Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said the Red Chamber did not approve the payment for the yacht.

He said the Senate also aligned with the House of Representatives on the reallocation of the fund appropriated for the presidential yacht to be added to the student loan.

Adaramodu asserted that the Chairmen of Appropriation in the Senate and the House of Representatives had agreed on moving the yacht allocation to the students’ loan laid before the lawmakers.

He said, “It was an agreement that was signed by both chambers. The fact that the Senate didn’t expressly mention it doesn’t mean that we were not on the same page.

“One chamber cannot singlehandedly sign a supplementary budget, the paper presented at the Senate was the same presented at the House. Both chairmen consolidated their reports and presented them at the plenary.

“As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, I can tell you that we didn’t approve any money for the presidential yacht.”