Chief Whip of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has made clarifications over the planned purchase of the Presidential Yacht estimated to cost N5 Billion.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District disclosed that the presidential yacht had been signed and delivered but not paid for before the public outcry, adding that the Senate has since added the required payment fee to the student loan budget.

Clearing the air on Friday on the review of the supplementary budget on Arise Television’s Morning show, Ndume said, “We queried the amount budgeted for the yacht, but it was signed for a dollar rate, and the new rate isn’t favourable. The budget was predicated for about N435, and now it is over N800.

“ The Navy also clarified that it is not a new budget. And even the House of Representatives moved the budget to the Student loan. The deal for the yacht has been agreed, signed, and delivered but not paid for.”

Delving on the issues of the N160m for Land Cruiser Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV, for each lawmaker in the National Assembly, the Chief Whip stressed that it is not a new thing for government workers to be buying vehicles for official duties.

He maintained that the price of the vehicles was also affected by the volatility of the naira to dollar rate, adding that the vehicles are needed for the lawmakers.

“The reason why we did not choose Nigerian-made cars is because they don’t manufacture their vehicles, but they assemble them.

“I prefer Nigerian-made products, but the Nigerian car companies are only buying the vehicle parts and assembling them here.

He maintained that the reason for the SUVs is because most Nigerian roads are not motorable, adding that these vehicles are the only ones that could help them carry out their oversight functions.