Olalekan Adetayo
Despite the Federal Government’s consistent calls on Nigerians to patronise Made-in-Nigeria products in order to strengthen the economy and aid national development, SUNDAY PUNCH’s investigation has shown that President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his team are using foreign products.
The investigation showed that except their clothes, the President and his team have been using foreign products ranging from their shoes to their cars.
For instance, there was outcry especially on social media platforms recently when Buhari was spotted in a pair of Gucci 1953 horsebit loafer shoes.
The price of the shoes was put at $640 at that time.
Not a few Nigerians were surprised that with his acclaimed austere lifestyle, the President could be spotted in such expensive imported shoes.
Further investigation showed that none of the vehicles in the President’s convoy was manufactured or assembled locally.
His official car is a Mercedes Maybach S600 described as “an extra highlight in the luxury segment.”
The vehicle in base-line configuration is said to cost around $258,000.
The President’s wife, Aisha, has also been attracting comments to herself lately over the various expensive and foreign fashion accessories that she uses.
She had earlier been spotted holding a Hermes Birkin 35cm Porosus Crocodile Gold Hardware Bag in Washington DC recently.
The bag was said to be worth over $70,000.
A Hermes Himalayan Crocodile Birkin bag was said to have been auctioned for $432,000 recently.
A news portal had claimed that the pink version of Mrs. Buhari’s Hermes handbag was auctioned in 2015 for $222,912 at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong.
Shortly after that, the President’s wife was again on October 18 spotted wearing a $2,600 multicoloured cape to Brussels.
She was also said to have been seen with an expensive diamond wristwatch by Chopard.
A look at Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s convoy also showed that most of the cars are expensive imported cars except for the Nissan Patrol Sports Utility Vehicle being used by some security operatives.
The SUVs were manufactured in Nigeria.
Our correspondent also observed that Buhari’s 36 ministers have Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 cars as their officials cars.
The President’s security chiefs also ride exotic bulletproof BMW cars.
But when contacted on the matter, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the President and Vice-President are already leading by example.
Shehu however said it was not the idea of government that officials should stop riding cars made abroad simply because those cars were bought overseas.
Such, he said, would be ridiculous and result to a waste of resources.
He said, “It is not the idea of government that its officials should stop riding cars made abroad simply because those cars were bought overseas. That will be ridiculous, and a waste of resources.
“The purchase and use of home made goods and services is a new campaign that will take time to fully entrench itself. This country has not banned the importation of goods.”
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