The Senate Has Rejected The Proposed N127 Million Budget For The Purchase Of SUV Vehicles For The Presidential Villa, Insisting That The Amount Is Too Small To Meet Security And Diplomatic Standards.

Lawmakers Said Approving Such A Figure Would Embarrass The Country And Weaken Nigeria’s Image Before The International Community.

The Position Was Made Known During A Budget Defence Session In Abuja On Wednesday By The Chairman Of The Senate Committee On Special Duties, Senator Kaka Shehu.

Shehu Acknowledged The Effort Of The President To Promote Fairness In Budgetary Allocation Across Government Institutions. He Said The Current Administration Was Showing Leadership By Ensuring That The Presidential Villa Was Treated Like Other Ministries And Agencies.

He Said, “The Renewed Hope Agenda Of President Tinubu Is Alive. We Are Happy That Even The Villa Is Being Treated Equally With Other Ministries. That Is Leadership By Example.

“Convey Our Deep Appreciation To Mr President. We Are Going To Do Justice To The Budget Before Us.

“However, I Will Join My Colleague In Rejecting N127 Million For SUV In The Villa, It Cannot Buy Even A Bulletproof ‘Tokunbo’. We Must Project The Image Of Nigeria Positively In The Committee Of Nations.

“That Is Totally Unacceptable. So We Will Take Note Of That And Do The Needful. We Don’t Want A Situation Where A Visiting President Will Use ‘Tokunbo’ At The Airport. No.

“So, The Budget Office Must Sit Up. When You Now Send Your Proposal, You Have To Do Justice To Your Request Not By Reducing It To An Amount That Would End Up Buying A ‘Tokunbo’.”

According To The Senator, Nigeria Must Maintain Dignity In Matters That Concern Presidential Movements And Official Engagements With Foreign Leaders. He Warned That Inadequate Funding For Presidential Vehicles Could Expose The Country To Ridicule During International Visits And Official Ceremonies.

Members Of The Committee Also Stressed That Security Considerations Should Not Be Compromised By Unrealistic Budget Figures. They Argued That Vehicles Used By The President And Visiting Dignitaries Must Meet Global Safety Standards.