The Nation Newspaper

Tag: presidential jet

  • FG bought refurbished jet for Tinubu’s use, says presidency

    FG bought refurbished jet for Tinubu’s use, says presidency

    Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has said that contrary to popular opinion, the Federal Government did not acquire a new official jet but a refurbished one.

    “It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria; it is our property,” Onanuga said in a Sunday interview with Laolu Akande on Channels Television.

    Onanuga claimed that some of the presidential fleet’s aircraft, including the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 that former President Olusegun Obasanjo acquired were in poor shape and that their maintenance expenses were exorbitant.

    According to him, the President requested the National Assembly’s consent for a refurbished plane that was still in good condition rather than shelling out an large sum of money for aircraft upkeep.

    Noting that the recently purchased aircraft belongs to Nigeria and not Tinubu, Onanuga urged Nigerians to put the President’s safety first.

    Tinubu will not take the recently purchased jet with him when he leaves office, according to the presidential spokesperson. 

    According to Onanuga, the jet will help Tinubu’s successor as well.

    Read Also: Tinubu celebrates Olori Onikepo Akande on her 80th birthday

    Onanuga said: “The President did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.

    “The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago.

    “There was a time the President went to Saudi Arabia, that plane developed some problems and the President had to leave with a chartered jet to The Netherlands.”

    The presidential spokesman said he spoke with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, on the faulty plane,  he explained the maintenance costs because of the age of the plane were exorbitant, necessitating another plane.

    “People should try to prioritise the safety of the President. I’m not sure anybody wishes our President to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.

  • Much ado about new presidential jet

    Much ado about new presidential jet

    • By Kenechukwu Aguolu

    Sir: The Federal Government has unveiled the new Presidential Jet -Airbus A330 which it acquired against widespread criticism. Many Nigerians had argued that the acquisition would be insensitive given the country’s economic challenges; some actually suggested that existing aircraft be overhauled while others maintained that the purchase was a necessity rather than a luxury. And that the government should make public the cost of the jet.

    On the other hand, the current presidential fleet is said to consist of old aircraft that have become unreliable and consume high maintenance costs. Recall that the president was forced to use chartered flights to Saudi Arabia and from South Africa; the vice president also had to cancel an official visit to the United States due to faulty presidential aircraft. It is more cost-effective, safer, and convenient to have a functional presidential fleet than frequently chartering flights.  New planes consume less fuel, require less maintenance, and are more reliable than older ones.

    The president and the vice president require a functional and reliable presidential fleet to perform their duties optimally. They are often required to travel to attend summits and meetings, engage in foreign missions, respond to emergencies, etc.

    Lest we forget, presidential jets are also a symbol of national pride and the status of office. Also recently, a good number of high-profile persons including the former President of Iran have died in air mishaps; a call for more caution. New planes have better visibility, navigation systems and are more resilient.

    Read Also: IGP’s dedication to justice, security commendable – Tinubu

    It is worthy to note that three aging presidential aircraft were put up for sale in June and that the presidential jet being an asset is expected to be used beyond this administration.  It is an investment that will facilitate effective governance.

    While wastage in governance should be minimized, cost containment should not be over-emphasized. A leader can save a lot of money during his tenure whilst leaving important things undone; sometimes as a result of lack of initiative. More important is tackling corruption and ensuring that government expenditures pass the cost-benefit assessment before they are incurred.

     Above all, the government should fast-track the implementation of policies that will reduce economic hardship in the country. The call that the cost of the new presidential jet be made public is in order.

    •Kenechukwu Aguolu  FCA,

    kenerek1@gmail.com

  • JUST IN: Chinese firm releases one presidential jet

    JUST IN: Chinese firm releases one presidential jet

    A Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd has announced the release of one of the three Nigerian Airbus A330 aircraft detained in France, following a court order obtained from a Paris judicial court.

    The firm had secured a court order to confiscate three Nigerian presidential jets pending when Zhongshan receives $74.5 million awarded to it against Nigeria.

    However, in a statement issued on Friday, a company spokesperson said the release was a gesture of goodwill, acknowledging that Nigerian President Ahmed Bola Tinubu requires the aircraft for a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

    The statement read: “Zhongshan has consistently acted reasonably and fairly in a legal dispute with Nigeria, which it did not initiate.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Tinubu departs Equatorial Guinea after three-day visit

    “The company has been informed that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France due to a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed by the President of Nigeria for his upcoming meeting with President Macron next week. As a goodwill gesture, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure, allowing the aircraft to be used for the President’s trip.”

    The spokesperson added that the company remains committed to negotiations with the Nigerian government, with hopes of reaching a “reasonable compromise swiftly.”

    On Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga had said that the federal government in collaboration with the Ogun State government are doing everything to quash the frivolous order obtained by Zhongshan in Paris to seize Nigeria’s presidential jets.

    The aircraft, which were undergoing routine maintenance, were detained following ex parte orders issued by the Paris Judicial Court on March 7 and August 12, 2024.