It has become a pattern for some individuals, CSOs and a section of the media to pick one or two line items every budget cycle for sensational headlines, deliberately ignoring context in their reporting.
The public that should benefit from good journalism, which should primarily educate and adequately inform, is left confused and miseducated due to mischaracterisation of issues and misrepresentation of facts.
The trending issues on social media since yesterday are two items in the 2023 supplementary budget. One is the provision for a presidential yacht in the supplementary budget by the Navy and the other is over N6 billion for vehicles to the State House.
It is important to state clearly that President Bola Tinubu didn’t ask for a presidential yatch and I doubt he needs one to perform the functions of his office. From what I know, the request for a yacht, however it is named or couched in the budget is from the Navy and they must have operational reasons for why it is required.

The budget office should be in a position to also explain to the public why such expenditure should be accommodated now, considering the economic situation of the country. I must readily admit that the one reason our budgeting system has been a subject of public attack is the very simplistic way some of the line items are described by civil servants, who prepare the budget. Examples abound. Sometimes in 2016, an Enterprise Resource Planning ( ERP) project of the Ministry of Solid Minerals worth over N300m then was captured in that year’s budget as “website”. Naturally, it generated a massive controversy as people, rightly, asked to know the type of website that will be built with N300million.
It is important to say that journalism should enrich public enlightenment and not create an atmosphere of siege. It is poor reporting to always reduce State House budgetary provisions to the President and Vice President. When the State House makes provision for vehicles, it is reported as if it is the President that will use all the vehicles or eat all the food when a provision is made for food and catering services. We have had such inaccurate reporting in the past. A President and Vice President cannot, for any reason, spend N20 million naira to eat in a year if it is about the food they will eat as first and second families. How much food can a person really eat? Yet, we will read headlines that Tinubu, Buhari, Jonathan or whoever the President is wants to spend N5 billion on food and catering in a year when in actual fact such budgetary provisions are made to accommodate many state events, meetings, hosting of VIPs, foreign dignitaries, and even visits by other Head of States, and o bilateral and multilateral meetings that the State House will deal with in a given year.
It is worth stating that in August this year President Tinubu as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS hosted two extraordinary summits of the regional body over the political crisis in Niger Republic. The two summits required catering services for the ECOWAS leaders and their delegation. Just this past Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was on a State Visit to Nigeria with a delegation of top business men and women from Germany. The President hosted the visiting Chancellor and his delegation to a state banquet. State House budget for food and catering services is spent on such events. It is not spent essentially to feed the President and Vice President.
On matters of vehicles, the N6 billion budget provision is not to buy vehicles for the President and Vice President alone. President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima are not using any new vehicles in their fleet. They are using inherited vehicles. There are hundreds of civil servants and political aides working at the State House who need operational vehicles. I am a senior aide of the President. I am using my personal car and at my own expense since I resumed work more than five months ago. Like me, virtually all the appointees of the President are using personal vehicles at their own expense for official duties. Most of the vehicles in the pool for various departments are run down. Even members of the State House Press Corps do not have functional bus to ease their movement. I know for a fact that a request for a new bus for State House Press Corps is captured in the supplementary budget for vehicles.
It is necessary to add that none of the political appointees has drawn any benefit and perks from public treasury. I must add that in 5 months, we have not even received a kobo as salary because of procedural issues involved in capturing new appointees on the payroll via IPPIS.
The Presidency is a huge Bureaucracy with hundreds of staff. Any budget head for the State House is to run the system, not for epicurean fantasy of a sitting President and Vice President. In this page-view-centric and social media age, it is easy to provoke public rage. It is also tempting for bloggers and quack journalists to take the easy road of sensationalism to attract traffic to their blogs and news websites. But good journalism, I believe, should be about substance and nuanced reporting.
-Ajayi is a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity

Is there any benefit from Nigeria’s election into the executive committee of the Inter -Parliamentary Union (IPU)? The question, in the last few days, has become a song on the lips of many. The quest for answer becomes necessary, following the historic election of Senator Godswill Akpabio into the executive committee of the international legislative organ. Akpabio, the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the 147th Assembly summit, is the Senate President!
For about 59 years, we heard nothing about IPU. If Nigeria was participating in its activities, few knew. But few weeks back, Akpabio and the 10th National Assembly emboldened and emblazoned our country’s name on the global history book. Suddenly, Nigeria is conspicuous on the world’s radar, after Akpabio got elected into the Exco committee of IPU.
Some, who heard the news dismissed it as another fruitless venture. A few expressed confidence that it holds enormous possibilities for the nation. Yet, the curiosity lingers. Even Akpabio’s explanation on return from Angola, where the celebrated election took place, has not satisfied some.
The Senate President had told newsmen on arrival from the summit, that his election into IPU Exco would impact positively on the country, through the creation of employment and developmental opportunities for young Nigerians, who are seeking to become diplomats.
His words: “A lot of employment opportunities would be created, a lot of offices would be opened; sub-national offices would be opened and a lot of young Nigerians who wish to be diplomats will have the opportunity of working there.
Additionally, he said: “This will also attract foreign direct investments in the area of training and retraining and capacity building, not just for the legislature but for people who are in different fields. The benefits are enormous, so we thank God for it.”
For easier understanding, IPU plays a major role in promoting job creation and foreign direct investments by facilitating dialogue and cooperation between parliaments and governments. It supports the development of policies and legislations that promote economic growth, entrepreneurship, and investment.
Through its programs and initiatives, the IPU provides opportunities for parliamentarians to exchange knowledge and experiences on best practices for attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) and creating an enabling environment for job creation.
Additionally, the IPU works to ensure that sustainable development goals are integrated into national legislation and policies, which can contribute to creating a conducive environment for job creation and attracting FDIs.
For years, Nigeria was missing at the decision-making table of that Union. But with Akpabio’s election into the IPU Exco, our nation is sure to benefit in specific areas of economic growth, sustainable democracy, entrepreneurship, and investment.
According to experts, with the active involvement at the Exco level, Nigeria stands to reap huge, including from the following:
* Investment promotion: The IPU could worked with Nigeria to develop investment promotion policies and strategies. These may include offering tax incentives, creating special economic zones, and streamlining regulations to attract foreign direct investment.
* Small and medium – sized enterprises (SMEs) support: The body is know to have supported legislations that simplify business registration processes, provide access to finance and credit, and promote entrepreneurship education and training. Nigeria is bound to benefit from such gestures, too.
* Innovative financing mechanisms: IPU is likely to encourage Nigeria to explore innovative financing mechanisms to support economic growth. This could include levers like the establishment of venture capital funds, public-private partnerships, and crowdfunding platforms, etc, to support startups and innovation.
* Labour market reforms: The IPU advocates for labour market reforms that promote flexibility, social protection, and fair working conditions. Thus, the union is in a position to support legislations that enhance worker rights, improve access to training and skills development, as well as promote gender equity, especially in the workforce.
* Sustainable development integration: Records show that IPU has supported the integration of sustainable development goals into some national legislations and policies. With Nigeria’s election into its Exco, we are likely to witness increased promotion of environmentally-friendly business practices, renewable energy adoption, and responsible investment practices.
Just like Akpabio explained, IPU plays a major role is growing democracies in most member nations. The extent and speed of such growth may be interrogated. But such speed may also depend on how serious those beneficiary nations are. In Nigeria’s case, with the avowed commitment of the current administration, we are likely to witness the actualisation of “renewed hope” in areas like democracy, peace, cooperation, etc.
Interestingly, IPU, through “Networking and Diplomacy,”allows parliamentarians to connect and engage with their counterparts from other countries, fostering relationships and enabling international cooperation. It also provides a platform for sharing information, experiences, and best practices among its members. This can help the lawmakers learn from one another and enhance their legislative and governance skills.
Another benefit of being at the apex of the IPU is in advocacy. Here, Nigeria can join in advocating for key issues and contribute to global decision-making processes. She can also influence international policies and promote human rights, democracy, and sustainable development.
Aside from serving as a forum where parliamentarians engage in meaningful dialogue and shared concerns on various global challenges, thus seeking common solutions, IPU membership offers support for democratic institutions. Being in the Exco of the organ places Nigeria at a vantage, when any such issue comes up.
Specifically, through its activities, the IPU helps strengthen parliaments, promote transparency, and ensure accountability in governance. By belonging to the highest decision making body, Nigeria is certainly aiming for the top in democracy, peace and sustainable development, among others.
Usoro, a public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos.