Nigeria's president approves spending hundreds of thousands on a presidential yacht and SUVs for lawmakers | Breaking News, Entertainment

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FILE – Nigeria’s new President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, heart, inspects honour guards after taking an oath of workplace at a ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria, on Might 29, 2023. Nigeria’s president has signed on Wednesday Nov. 8, 2023 a controversial invoice that earmarks $6.1 million for a presidential yacht and hundreds of thousands extra for sport utility automobiles for his spouse and different high authorities officers. (AP Picture/Olamikan Gbemiga, File)

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A person walks previous the Nationwide Meeting constructing in Abuja, Nigeria, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Nigeria’s lawmakers on Thursday accredited the brand new authorities’s first supplemental price range, which incorporates big allocations for SUVs and homes for the president, his spouse and different public officers, sparking anger and criticism from residents in one of many world’s poorest international locations. (AP Picture/Chinedu Asadu)

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Automobiles drive previous the Nationwide Meeting constructing in Abuja, Nigeria, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Nigeria’s lawmakers on Thursday accredited the brand new authorities’s first supplemental price range, which incorporates big allocations for SUVs and homes for the president, his spouse and different public officers, sparking anger and criticism from residents in one of many world’s poorest international locations. (AP Picture/Chinedu Asadu)

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FILE – Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu arrives for the closing session of the New World Monetary Pact Summit, on June 23, 2023 in Paris. Nigeria’s lawmakers new authorities on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, unveiled its first supplemental price range, which incorporates greater than $100 million for sport utility automobiles (SUVs), homes and luxuries together with a yacht for the president and different public officers, sparking anger and criticism from residents in one of many world’s poorest international locations. (AP Picture/Lewis Joly, File)

By DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a supplementary price range earmarking hundreds of thousands of {dollars} for a presidential yacht and sport utility vehicles for his wife and top government officials has once more stoked anger amongst unusual Nigerians over what they see as a rising financial disparity.

Tinubu on Wednesday signed into legislation the price range that allocates $38 million for the presidential air fleet and different renovations. Some $6.1 million budgeted earlier for the the yacht was assigned by lawmakers to “pupil loans” — with the senate’s approval.

The nation’s navy stated it had taken supply of the yacht, however “it has not been paid for.”

Presidential spokesperson Anjuri Ngelale defended the supplemental price range as serving to “strengthen Nigeria’s safety structure and tackle Nigeria’s vital infrastructure deficit, amongst different concerns.”

The spokesperson stated about 30% of the cash can be spent on safety, and one other 35% on “provision of vital infrastructure.”

Just lately, the nation’s 460-member nationwide meeting confirmed that every one lawmakers will get every a brand new SUV reportedly at a price of greater than $150,000 every. The lawmakers stated the automobiles would assist them do their work higher.

Nigeria, one of many world’s poorest international locations, is presently seeing meals costs proceed to soar to document highs. Additionally hovering is the frustration of unusual Nigerians who see politicians earn big salaries whereas others like medical professionals often have to go on strike to protest meager wages.

“It’s by the grace of God that I can eat. It’s arduous,” stated Nduka Omeje, a dealer in Apo resettlement in Nigeria’s capital metropolis, Abuja.

Labor unions struggled to get the federal government to boost the minimal wage for civil servants from a month-to-month $67 a month. The 2019 pay improve got here after employees staged protests.