Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, has stated that the Federal Government did not buy a new official jet for President Bola Tinubu, contrary to claims on social media.
Speaking on Sunday’s edition of Inside Sources on Channels
Television, Onanuga stated that the government acquired a refurbished jet for
the president, adding that the plane belongs to the country.
Onanuga stated that some jets in the presidential fleet
purchased under former President Olusegun Obasanjo are all in bad condition,
and their maintenance costs are outrageous.
He added that instead of spending a lot of money on aircraft
maintenance, the President sought the approval of the National Assembly for a
refurbished jet that was still in good condition.
Onanuga said the refurbished Airbus A330 would save Nigeria
high maintenance costs in servicing the old aircraft.
He said, “The president did not buy a new jet; what he has
is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it, but
it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used. The one President
Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago.
“There was a time
when the President went to Saudi Arabia, and that plane developed some
problems. The President had to leave with a chartered jet to the Netherlands.
It’s not President Tinubu’s plane. It belongs to the people of Nigeria. It is
our property.”
Onanuga urged Nigerians to prioritise the President’s
safety, noting that the newly acquired plane is Nigeria’s property and the jet
would also benefit Tinubu’s successor.
The presidential spokesman said the National Security
Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, okayed the purchase of a refurbished plane, saying that
the maintenance costs of the old aircraft were exorbitant.
“People should try to prioritise the safety of the
president. I’m not sure anybody wishes our president to go and crash in the
air. We want his safety so that he can hand over to whoever wants to take over
from him,” Onanuga said.
While the Presidency has continued to defend Tinubu’s action
to purchase the refurbished Airbus A330, the move has been criticised by many
Nigerians and some of the 2023 presidential candidates.
The President’s critics stated that he was not feeling the
plight of poor Nigerians grappling under the weight of unprecedented food
inflation and energy prices, which have quadrupled in the last one year.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com