DAILY POST
There is widespread anger following the unveiling of the new Airbus A330 presidential jet purchased by President Bola Tinubu’s government.
DAILY POST recalls that the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga had on Monday night, released the pictures of the presidential jet via his verified X handle.
According to him, the new jet replaces the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 (BBJ) which was acquired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo during his tenure.
Tinubu’s aide claimed that the new jet saved Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars annually.
Countering the claim that the jet was acquired without approval by the National Assembly, Onanuga said “the Nigerian Senate’s security and intelligence committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses”.
Our correspondent, however, reports that the claim does not align with earlier reports from the Nigerian Senate.
DAILY POST recalls that the Senate President Godswill Akpabio on June 27, declared that the upper chamber did not receive any request for the purchase of new aircraft for the president.
Nigerians had perceived the move by the presidency to get a new jet, but the Senate President vehemently debunked the report, saying there was nothing like that in their table.
Akpabio, who spoke after a closed-door meeting, said, “I have never had that correspondence to approve the purchase of a plane. We care about the President, we care about Nigerians.
“We will approve things that will benefit the people. There is nothing before us”.
Similarly the Senate leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) said, “There is no such request, if the request comes, not only the Senate will debate it, we are 469 here. So this is the handiwork of the fifth columnist and propagandists.”
DAILY POST reports that there was no parliamentary debate prior to the arrival of the exotic presidential jet.
Although the presidency deliberately omitted the price of the jet, it was gathered that the Nigerian government spent over $100 million (N159 billion) to acquire the Airbus A330.
This is coming amid the ravaging economic downturn that has relatively made feeding difficult for millions of citizens.
Recall that Nigerians had earlier in the month staged a 10-day nationwide protest over hunger.
The untoward hardship was birthed by some unfavorable policies of the President Tinubu-led administration, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy which was announced on May 29, 2023.
READ THE FULL STORY IN DAILYPOST
