The new aircraft is intended to replace the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) purchased during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency. However, the acquisition has sparked controversy, particularly given Nigeria’s struggling economy and the widespread hardship and hunger faced by its citizens.
Concerns have also been raised about whether the presidency obtained the necessary approval from the Nigerian Senate before purchasing the new jet, as required by law. The transaction has sparked debate and criticism, with many questioning the priority given to acquiring a new presidential aircraft amidst the country’s economic challenges.
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, a senior special assistant to President Tinubu, disclosed that the new presidential jet was bought from the ‘service wide vote’, a kind of special money kept for special purposes and that it was not from the budget.
According to Vanguard, the presidential aide made the disclosure while speaking on BBC Hausa in Kaduna on Tuesday, August 20.
The presidential aide also revealed that the new jet was not new but fairly used. According to Abdulaziz, the plane was first used by a Saudi prince before the federal government bought it.
He added that the previous airline was dangerous for use as it had to make an air return at some point when Vice President Kashim Shettima was on board.
According to the BBC, the new presidential jet is 15 years old. It was learnt that the plane was initially delivered to Midroc Aviation, a Saudi Arabian company, in 2009.
Its ownership changed in 2021 when it was sold to AMAC Aerospace in Sweden before being purchased by the Nigerian government.
The plane had been parked at the Basle Mulhouse Freiburg Airport since May until it was flown to Nigeria on August 18, 2024.
The BBC further cited a Bloomberg report that the plane had been advertised on a website, Aircraft24, where buying and selling aircraft always takes place.
The presidency confirmed that the new presidential jet is spacious, has state-of-the-art avionics, a customized interior design, and an effective communication system.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that Peter Obi of the Labour Party has demanded accountability and transparency on the controversies about the new presidential jet.
Obi is asking President Bola Tinubu-led government to disclose the price of the new presidential jet and other details surrounding it.
The former Anambra governor also demanded the state and conditions of the former one that the government was planning to dispose of.
The presidency finally shared pictures of the presidential jet when President Tinubu was preparing to travel to France on Monday, August 19. It said it replaced the old one bought 19 years ago by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Ogun state government was again been fined $70 million in an arbitrary appeal against the judgment earlier secured by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese firm.
A United States Court of Appeal, in a final charge, ordered the Chinese firm to take over two properties in the US.
The federal government had earlier appealed the District Court of Columbia’s ruling, but the court insisted on having the right to hear the matter and gave its reason.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
