The Federal Government, led by Bola Tinubu, has earmarked a staggering N12.7 billion for the maintenance of the presidential air fleet as part of the 2023 supplementary budget. This allocation is situated within the recurrent expenditure of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), with an overall budget of N29.7 billion.
The proposed budget for the ONSA encompasses several key items, including N4.7 billion for settling outstanding annual service legal agreements and bandwidth subscriptions for ONSA intelligence platforms. Additionally, N10 billion is allocated for Operation MAD Thunder-NSA.
The ONSA has also set aside N2.2 billion for “part settlement of outstanding liabilities for procurement of treated/operational vehicles for State House and ONSA.”
In a surprising move, the Federal Government has expressed its intention to spend N5 billion on the purchase of a presidential yacht, which is included in the capital expenditure of the Nigerian Navy’s budget.
According to budget documents, the Nigerian Navy is projected to require a total of N62.8 billion for its operations, with recurrent expenditure and capital expenditure consuming N20.4 billion and N42.3 billion, respectively.
This development follows the recent approval of a supplementary budget by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which proposed a total of N2.17 trillion. President Bola Tinubu has urged a swift consideration and approval of the appropriation bill, leading to its rapid passage through the House of Representatives and the Senate for a second reading.
The allocation of significant funds for the maintenance of the presidential air fleet and the purchase of a presidential yacht within the supplementary budget has raised questions and concerns among the Nigerian public. It is expected that these financial decisions will undergo scrutiny and debate in the legislative process.
