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Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, addressed the nation on Aug. 4, 2024, a few days after the 10-day nationwide protest. In his speech, he disclosed that his administration is working to ease living conditions for the citizens, as different schemes and initiatives have been introduced within a year in office. Though he claimed that the protest was politically motivated, he urged the protesters to have faith in his administration to witness the dividends of his efforts.
Nevertheless, a significant criticism of the speech received on social media was that the president did not address any of the protesters’ grievances. Also, many protesters said the address further threatened them instead of appealing to their demands.
A viral statement reacting to the president’s speech on WhatsApp claimed that his administration has lavishly spent public funds to sustain the leaders’ flamboyant lifestyle. The statement attributed different expenditures to the current administration and questioned its prudence amidst the country’s ravaging economic crisis.
Though DUBAWA could not identify the statement’s source, it has been forwarded by multiple WhatsApp users. Charles Oputa (Charly Boy), a veteran Nigerian entertainer and activist, shared the claim on his verified X account. Many Facebook users have also shared it, as seen here, here, here, here, and here.
The divisive claims in the statement and the reactions it generated prompted DUBAWA to investigate them.
Claim 1: The current administration spent N21 billion to renovate the Vice President’s House.
While the house is worth N21 billion, construction began in 2010, when the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration awarded N7 billion for the project. It was abandoned in 2015 until January 2024, when Mr Tinubu awarded N14 billion to complete the project, which Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s vice president, commissioned on June 7, 2024. This means the current administration only spent N14 billion on the project, not the N21 billion as claimed. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, also revealed that the fund will cover the vice president’s quarters in Lagos, as well as the full digitalisation of the entire state house and Lagos state offices and quarters.
Verdict: MISLEADING. The current administration spent N14 billion to complete the renovation of the State House in Lagos and Abuja residences, which also included digitalising the buildings.
Claim 2: The current administration awarded N70 billion to procure SUVs for members of the National Assembly.
The Senate approved and passed a supplementary budget of more than N819 billion on Dec. 28, 2022, during the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. The budget was meant to be allocated among four ministries: N69 billion for the Agriculture Ministry, N704 billion for the Works Ministry, N30 billion for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), and N15.5 billion for the Water Resources Ministry.
In July 2023, Tinubu wrote to the National Assembly requesting that N500 billion be issued from the 2022 supplementary budget to cushion the economic crisis caused by his administration’s removal of petrol subsidies. In this amended budget, N70 billion was allocated to ease work stress for the 469 members of the National Assembly, who will each get a Toyota Prado SUV worth between N130 million and N160 million.
Verdict: TRUE. Though the budget was initially passed in 2022, Tinubu inserted and approved the procurement in the amended 2022 supplementary budget.
Claim 3: The current government approved N7 billion to renovate the Dodan Barrack in Lagos
Mr Tinubu budgeted N7 billion to renovate Dodan Barrack—the presidential villa in Lagos state—on Nov. 1, 2023. The budget, which the National Assembly approved on Nov. 6, 2023, will also cover the renovation of the president’s official residence and vice in Lagos state, at N4 billion and N3 billion, respectively.
Verdict: TRUE.
Claim 4: The current administration budgeted N3 billion to renovate Aguda House
Verdict: TRUE. The budget was allocated in the 2023 supplementary budget the president proposed, which is worth N2.17 trillion. The N3 billion will renovate the vice president’s residence in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Claim 5: The current administration budgeted N5 billion to procure a fleet of cars for President Tinubu.
A sum of N2.9 billion was allocated for the Presidential Villa’s SUVs and another N2.9 billion for the Presidency’s operational vehicle replacement. However, it must be noted that the president is only an individual member of the presidency, the institution in a presidential system of government. This institution includes the offices of the president, vice president, chief of staff to the president, secretary to the federation’s government, national security adviser and the federal executive council.
Verdict: MISLEADING. The allocated budget is for the presidency, while the president is only a member of the institution.
Conclusion
Amidst the biting economic hardship that Nigerians are battling, the Bola Tinubu-led administration had expended the country’s limited resources on some questionable projects. However, some of the claims in the viral statement were misleading.
