Nigerian lawmakers have sparked controversy by calling for the immediate purchase of new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, despite the country grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis.
The demand comes as millions of Nigerians face severe poverty, inflation soars to 33.69%, and the government claims it lacks funds for essential people-focused projects and higher wages.
A strike by labour unions over demand for a higher wage brought the country to a standstill last week as the government argued it could not afford N250,000 as the least wage.
As citizens grapple with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, following President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy and devaluation of the naira, government officials have continued to spend public funds on wasteful projects, analysts say.
On Friday, the government inaugurated a N21 billion mansion for the vice president, amidst intense public anger.
Now, the federal lawmakers have pushed for a new plan for new aircraft to be purchased for the president and vice president, Premium Times reports.
The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence recently issued a report recommending the acquisition of new planes, citing the high maintenance costs of the current presidential aircraft. This move follows a technical subcommittee hearing on the status and airworthiness of the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF), the paper reported Thursday.
“The Committee is of the strong and informed opinion that considering the fragile structure of the Nigerian federation and recognizing the dire consequences of any foreseen or unforeseen mishap that may arise as a result of technical/operational inadequacy of the Presidential Air Fleet, it is in the best interest of the country to procure two additional aircraft as recommended,” the House report stated.
Nigerian presidents travel aboard aircraft owned and operated by the Nigerian Airforce.
The report, signed by the Committee’s chairperson Ahmed Satomi and clerk Makwe Eric, highlighted what the committee claimed were the fleet’s troubles.
It detailed that the presidential fleet consists of six aircraft—one Boeing 737, a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream GV, two Falcon 7Xs, and a Challenger CL605—with three currently unserviceable. Additionally, the fleet has six helicopters: two Agusta 139s and four Agusta 189s, with the Agusta 139s also being unserviceable.
The president’s 19-year-old Boeing 737 is under annual maintenance, while the vice president’s 13-year-old Gulfstream G550 remains operational. However, the Gulfstream GV, at 23 years old, is unserviceable, along with one of the Falcon 7Xs. The Challenger CL605, at 12 years old, is serviceable, but the unserviceable Agusta 139 helicopters are 17 and 18 years old, respectively.
The committee claimed that purchasing new aircraft would be more cost-efficient in the long run and provide a suitable, comfortable, and safe carrier “befitting of the status and responsibilities of the office of the president and vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
More economical
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had pledged but failed to reduce the number of planes in the fleet by selling some off. Fleet maintenance costs surged by 190% between 2016 and 2020.
By 2022, maintenance expenses for each plane ranged from $1.5 million to $4.5 million.
The latest debate over the presidential fleet began on March 23 when House committee chair Satomi proposed an investigation into the fleet’s breakdowns, citing recent malfunctions. Despite some opposition, Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu allowed the investigation to proceed.
The House formed a five-member panel to assess the airworthiness of all presidential aircraft. The panel’s June 4 report recommended replacing the aircraft used by President Tinubu and his deputy.
The larger committee endorsed these recommendations and forwarded them to the presidency for action, Premium Times reported.
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