The presidency has dismissed a report that a yacht found with the Nigerian flag in France belongs to President Bola Tinubu.
The clarification followed a claim on social media that a presidential yacht spotted at the France coastal town of St-Tropez belongs to the Nigerian leader.
They added that the luxury yacht is being used for vacation in the town.
The Senior Special Assistant on Digital and New Media to the President, Otega Ogra, who made the clarification on his X handle on Saturday, said the yacht does not belong to Tinubu or the Nigerian Navy but to a private individual.
He wrote: “There have been false claims circulating that a private individual’s yacht was spotted in St. Tropez is a Nigerian government yacht. Here are some points to consider in order to discern the truth.
“The 42m Bennetti yacht currently being shared online has been privately owned for around 5 years since it was constructed.
“It is important to note that this specific yacht has no connection or ownership ties to the Nigerian government, president, or armed forces. Any claims or assertions suggesting otherwise are simply not true and inaccurate.
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“It is not uncommon for luxury yachts to fly the flag of the owner’s country as well as the flag of the country in which they are registered.
“The official Nigerian flag is Green-White-Green without a coat of arms in the middle. Flags representing the Nigerian President or the Armed Forces do not contain a coat of arms in the center. Placing anything in the center of the flag is a clear deviation.
“Regarding the naval observatory and training ship often referred to as the ‘presidential yacht,’ it was ordered and acquired by Nigeria during President M. Buhari’s tenure (2015-2023).
“ It was delivered in June 2023 but was never paid for. This information has been officially confirmed by the Naval authorities. Director of Naval Information, Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, affirmed in a statement in November 2023 that the yacht was indeed ordered during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and was delivered to Nigeria well before it was included in the budget as an outstanding debt obligation.
“That is correct, it is in Nigeria.
“Finally, it is important to exercise caution and refrain from defaming or exposing private individuals and their legitimate businesses to ridicule based on false political associations with personal property.”
DEBUNKING FALSE NEWS:
There have been false claims circulating that a private individual’s yacht spotted in St. Tropez is a Nigerian government yacht. Here are some points to consider in order to discern the truth:
1. The 42m Bennetti yacht currently being share online has been…
— O’tega Ogra (@otegaogra) September 7, 2024
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