Details Emerge as Reps Say President Tinubu, VP Shettima Need New Aircrafts Immediately

Reps Urge Immediate Purchase of New Aircrafts for President Tinubu and VP Shettima. 

Some lawmakers in the House of Representatives have urged the federal government to urgently acquire new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. This recommendation was made in a report by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, chaired by Ahmed Satomi and clerked by Makwe Eric.

Read Also : Uproar in Niger as Governor, Deputy, Speaker, Other Government Officials Jet Off to Saudi Arabia for Hajj

The call for new aircraft follows a hearing by the committee’s technical subcommittee on the status and airworthiness of the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF). The committee’s findings have been forwarded to the presidency for action.

According to the report, the Nigerian federation’s fragile structure and the potential dire consequences of any mishap resulting from technical or operational inadequacies of the Presidential Air Fleet necessitate the urgent procurement of two additional aircraft. This recommendation, highlighted in the report and shared by Premium Times, underscores the critical need for reliable transportation for the nation’s top leaders.

Unknown Aircraft Flies Above Aso Rock Unrestricted, Sparking Fear; Presidency Issues Warning

The report detailed the current state of the presidential fleet, which includes six aircraft: a Boeing 737, a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream GV, two Falcon 7Xs, and a Challenger CL605. Out of these, three aircraft are unserviceable. Additionally, the fleet comprises six helicopters: two Agusta 139s and four Agusta 189s, with the Agusta 139s currently unserviceable.

The committee, quoting Air Vice Marshal Olayinka Oyesola, Commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, noted that President Tinubu’s 19-year-old Boeing 737 is unserviceable and undergoing annual maintenance. Conversely, Vice President Shettima’s 13-year-old Gulfstream G550 is in good condition.

NSCDC Deploys 1,800 Officers To Kogi For Hitch-Free Eid-El-Kabir Celebration

However, the 23-year-old Gulfstream GV is unserviceable. Of the two Falcon 7Xs, one is serviceable, while the other is not. The Challenger CL605, aged 12 years, is serviceable. The unserviceable Agusta 139 helicopters are 17 and 18 years old, respectively.

The committee emphasised that the high maintenance costs of aged aircraft lead to longer downtime and increased fleet running costs. Therefore, procuring new aircraft for the country’s top leaders is deemed the best option.

This recommendation comes in the wake of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s unfulfilled promise to significantly reduce the number of planes in the fleet by selling off some of the aircraft. Instead, the government reportedly increased the cost of running the fleet by 190 per cent between 2016 and 2020. By 2022, the maintenance costs for each plane ranged between $1.5 million and $4.5 million.

The committee’s report aims to ensure that Nigeria’s leadership is adequately supported with reliable and efficient transportation, thus maintaining the integrity and operational capacity of the presidency.

Stay informed with Ejes Gist News – Your Source for Credible News in Nigeria Now.