President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s supplementary budget request worth N2.17 trillion to the National Assembly to, in part, fund the luxurious lifestyles of the first two families spread shock waves from the north to the south of Nigeria. At a time when the quality of life among the people has plunged beyond explanation and the cost of living has skyrocketed, the first two families in the country are making demands for the renovation of official residences, acquiring luxury cars, and even acquiescing to the Nigerian Navy’s demand to acquire a presidential yacht worth N5 billion.
Unfortunately, the National Assembly passed the supplementary budget for N1.5 billion for cars for the president’s wife, Remi Tinubu, and renovation of the president and vice president’s official residences in Lagos, among several other expenditures that would gulp the colossal sum of money.
The resistance to the acquisition of a presidential yacht by the House of Representatives Committee on Navy introduced a difficult twist to the frivolities, as Yusuf Gagdi, who chaired the committee in the Ninth National Assembly, claimed he was unaware of any budget for it. In spite of this breach of the procedure for government expenditure, Nigerians learned at the weekend that the yacht had since arrived in the country and that the supplementary budget was to ensure payments were made to the tune of the current foreign exchange rate. Why would the Senate approve such expenditures in breach of the country’s procurement law?
It is unfortunate that, in spite of the outcry over the years against profligacy by the executive and legislative arms of government, those who have access to the country’s commonwealth have remained resolute on wasting the resources to feed their vanities. Why should the Presidency make a budget for a new fleet of cars for the First Lady’s entourage? What happened to the vehicles used by former First Lady Aisha Buhari? What happened to the pool cars used by former President Muhammadu Buhari? What happened to the cars used by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo? How many times will the presidential lodges be renovated?
Between 2016 and 2020, as much as N37 billion was spent on the Aso Rock Villa. In 2021 alone, some N11.04 billion was again spent on renovations at the Villa. Why is the Aso Rock Villa gulping so much every year, at the expense of the Nigerian public?
President Tinubu must resist the temptation to acquire these luxury cars or embark on the extravagant renovation of the presidential lodges in Lagos. Even though the bill has been passed, in view of the current situation of the country, especially that of the masses, who can barely feed due to the subsidy removal and floating of the naira, both policies that were introduced by the current president, we urge him to have a rethink.
He could learn from President Hakainde Hichilame of Zambia, who was voted into power in 2021. In April this year, the president announced that he had resisted an invoice of $1.8 million for the purchase of cars for his entourage, arguing that the pool cars used by his predecessor were still healthy for him to use. After setting this example, he set aside the tradition of ministers and top civil servants using the taxpayers’ money to acquire luxury cars, asking rhetorically, ‘Why buy a Land Cruiser VX with the taxpayers’ money when citizens have no toilets? You cannot afford a V6, why do you want to pretend because you are using taxpayers’ money?’ The Zambian president revealed that since he was voted into power in 2021, he had not purchased any official vehicles for use.
President Hichlame’s sense of moderation defeats the insensitive moves by the Presidency and the National Assembly members, who have approved for themselves the purchase of cars worth N160 million for each of the 469 members. We call on President Tinubu, Vice-President Shettima, and even members of the National Assembly to rescind their yearnings for luxuries in the face of acute suffering among Nigerians.
This government’s policies have impoverished Nigerians more than those of any other government before it. It is indeed curious that an administration that claimed that the N3 trillion annual subsidy paid on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) that benefits the people was too much for the economy sent a supplementary budget of almost the same figure to fund only a few. As of today, many Nigerians have no access to food; the cost of transportation has gone astronomically high; and many cannot fuel their cars.
The hike in the exchange rate has led to hyperinflation. In all of these, all the government has done so far is offer to pay the sum of N25,000 to 15 million households for a period of three months and a wage award of N35,000 to federal government workers. Nothing is said about what happens after the three months for the households. Even the wage award is grossly inadequate and could worsen the workers’ current situation. This is not to mention the fact that federal government workers only account for a tiny percentage of Nigerians currently hit by the policies. But the Tinubu government appears unperturbed and rather prioritises the acquisition of official cars, presidential yachts in whatever name, and the renovation of luxury residences.
This government must abandon these indulgences and plough the supplementary budget into those strategies that would cushion the effects of its harsh policies on the people. The starting point may be to learn from Zambian President Hichilema. A luxury lifestyle is not what it takes to be a good president.