The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, has dismissed concerns over the alleged lavish lifestyles of public officials.
Adedeji said President Bola Tinubu does not live extravagantly despite his position.
He stated this during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, where he was questioned by journalist Seun Okinbaloye about the lifestyles of political office holders amid the economic challenges confronting Nigerians.
The discussion comes amid public debate over government spending and the lifestyles of political leaders, particularly as Nigerians continue to contend with rising living costs and economic pressures.
Responding to questions about the President’s movements and reported use of luxury vehicles, Adedeji claimed that Tinubu usually walks from his residence to his office and only uses a vehicle when travelling to the airport. He also said the President eats only once daily and had not travelled outside Nigeria in the past three months.
When asked about the number of Escalades reportedly attached to Tinubu’s convoy, Adedeji challenged the premise of the question, arguing that the President could afford such vehicles. He explained that the President goes from home to office on foot and does not drive except when heading to the airport, questioning where the reporter had seen a convoy and pointing out what the President had ridden even before becoming president. He argued that the cost of an Escalade should not be considered beyond the reach of Nigeria’s president and urged the journalist not to embarrass the country with such framing.
He further questioned what constituted “living large,” noting that in recent months the President had not even left the country, choosing instead to remain focused on trekking and working, and stressing that anyone visiting him would find him reviewing one document or another. He asked how many parties the President had been seen attending in the last three years, challenging the journalist to name any occasion, whether on holiday or elsewhere, where such extravagance had been witnessed.
