By Ayodele Quadri, Lagos Times Correspondent
ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has dismissed public concerns regarding the cost of governance and alleged lavish lifestyles of public officials, asserting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lives modestly and prioritizes his official duties over luxury.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Adedeji stated that President Tinubu regularly walks on foot from his official residence to his office within the Presidential Villa and only makes use of a vehicular motorcade when traveling to the airport.
The NRS boss further claimed that the President eats only once daily, rarely attends social parties, and has remained in the country for the past three months focused on reviewing policy documents and overseeing administrative reforms.
Key Operational Highlights
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Walking to Office: Adedeji stated that President Tinubu treks from his residence to his office daily, disputing claims of expansive vehicular convoys within the Villa complex.
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Dietary and Social Habits: The revenue chief disclosed that the President eats once a day and avoids leisure trips or social gatherings, spending his time reviewing official state matters.
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Defense of Official Vehicles: Responding to inquiries about luxury vehicles attached to the presidency, Adedeji argued that a Nigerian president’s access to standard security vehicles, such as Cadillacs or Escalades, is customary and well within personal and state capacity.
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Public Reaction: The statements have sparked widespread discussion across social media platforms, with citizens and political analysts questioning the assertions against the backdrop of prevailing economic realities and public sector spending.
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│ NRS CHAIRMAN STATEMENT ON PRESIDENCY LIFESTYLE │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Speaker : Zacch Adedeji (Executive Chairman, NRS) │
│ • Media Platform : Channels Television ('Sunday Politics') │
│ • Core Topic : Cost of governance & presidential lifestyle │
│ │
│ • Key Assertions : • Treks from residence to office daily │
│ • Eats only once per day │
│ • Has not traveled abroad in three months │
│ • Focuses continuously on official documents │
│ │
│ • Context : Public debate on government expenditure and │
│ economic reform impacts │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
“What Is Living Large? The President Eats Once in a Day”
“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 was he riding? How much is an Escalade that the President of Nigeria cannot afford? Please don’t embarrass this country.” — Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman, Nigeria Revenue Service
“What is living large? In the last months, he has not even left the shores of this country, trekking and working. If you go there now, you will see him review one document or the other. So what is living large? The president eats once in a day. How many parties have you seen him at in the last three years?” — Zacch Adedeji
