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Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has faulted Executive Chairman of Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji for romanticising President Bola Tinubu’s personal habits.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Adedeji said the president does not live extravagantly despite his position.
He was addressing the perception among the populace that political office holders live lavishly despite the economic challenges confronting Nigerians.
The NRS boss said, “Mr President goes from home to office on foot, not even driving except when he is going to the airport. I don’t know where you see the convoy. Before he became president, what is he riding?”
He added, “The president eats once in a day. How many parties have you seen him at in the last three years? Tell me where you have seen him, whether on holiday or anywhere?”
Reacting in a Facebook post on Monday, Atiku’s aide queried the monetary value of the president’s supposed austerity.
He said, “The Chairman of @NigeriaRevenue Dr Zacch Adedeji needs to be schooled that it is better for President @officialABAT to take a helicopter to the office and eat an 8 course Chinese banquet instead of the monumental wastages in his government.
“What’s the monetary value of his trekking and eating once a day?
“This is the value of some of the wastages in his government that can dramatically change the plight of Nigerians if better utilised:
“1.The acquisitions of vehicles for members of the National Assembly totalling N70 billion at the cost of ₦160 million per SUV, in addition to ₦1.5 billion approved in a supplementary budget for vehicles attached to the unconstitutional Office of the First Lady. By these expenditures, the Tinubu administration confirmed that it is Insensitive to the suffering of citizens under severe economic reforms.
“2. The budgeting of over ₦5 billion for a presidential fleet of cars and the procurement of a new presidential jet costing over $150 million.
“3. The allocation of ₦21 billion to renovate the Vice President’s official residence, ₦4 billion for Dodan Barracks, and ₦3 billion for Aguda House. This is clearly an extravagant cost for an existing structure while some Nigerians cannot even afford a meal a day like Tinubu.
“4. The extensive local and international travel expenses by the presidency—accumulating billions in mere months—coupled with running the largest cabinet of ministers in Nigeria’s history.
“5. The ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road to nowhere, which bypassed transparent procurement procedures and diverted vital resources from immediate national needs.”
Ibe said the president “should stop trekking to office and eating once a day because the savings from it is inconsequential”.
“Instead, he should be focused on cutting waste,” he added.
