Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged the Federal government to disclose the purchase amount, age, and operational history of the Presidential jet.
The Presidency has repeatedly denied the intention to purchase a Presidential jet for President Bola Tinubu. However, on Monday, the President travelled to France on an Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 (BBJ) purchased during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, despite the economic crisis plaguing the country.
Mr Obi reminded the President that the presidential jet was purchased with taxpayers’ money, so the public deserves to know how and why the old jets are being disposed of.
“Now that the Presidential Jet has arrived.
“From all indications, despite all the denials, and back and forth over the newly acquired Presidential aircraft, the jet is now here thanks to the French court that helped Nigerians get the information.
“Now that the Jet is here, can Nigerian taxpayers whose money was used to purchase it need to be privy to how much it cost how old the aircraft is and how long it has been in operation?
“In addition, Nigerians also deserve to know about how the old jets are being disposed of, how many of them, how old they are, and why they are being sold. Transparency and Accountability should be the hallmark of any genuine leadership.
“The government will lose nothing but respect, if it fails to provide adequate information about its leadership to the people whose money is being deployed and whose mandate the President is holding.
“A presidential jet is a major symbol of national sovereignty and state power. How much it costs to transport the president, is a major issue of public accountability. I hope that Nigerians will not be denied the right of full disclosure on the new presidential jet. -PO”
The aircraft that arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday, August 18, 2024, with registration number 5N-FGA and HEX CODE 06430C came from a factory in France. It is a refurbished aircraft acquired from Mid East Jet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to a report by the Leadership.
