The House of Representatives has requested that new aircrafts be purchased for the Presidential Fleet.
The House Committee on National Security and Intelligence made the request on Thursday, saying that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kassim Shetima required two new aircrafts.
The lawmakers resolution comes on the heels of recent disruption experienced by Tinubu and Shetima while trying to attend some functions outside the country.
In March, President Tinubu was forced to travel to Saudi Arabia on a charter flight for the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia .
Sources who spoke on the issue then said the president’s two main private jets had developed faults, prompting Tinubu to travel on a chartered flight from the Netherlands, to Saudi Arabia for the WEF.
Also, on May 16 Vice President Shetima could not represent President Tinubu at an event in the United States of America, USA due to faults developed by the aircraft he was billed to travel on.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, later represented President Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima who was originally scheduled to represent the President was unable to make the trip following a technical fault with his aircraft, forcing him to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet,” the Presidency revealed in a statement signed by Shettima’s spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha.
Following these disruptions, the House of Representatives on May 17, said something must be done to prevent such situations from recurring.
They warned that Tinubu and Shetima’s lives were at risk, adding that the situation with the aircrafts has brought disrepute to Nigeria.
Yesterday, the Committee issued a report following a hearing conducted by its technical subcommittee regarding the condition and safety of aircraft in the PAF.
The legislators suggested that the expenses associated with up-keeping the 19-year-old aircrafts in the PAF have become too much to bear for the country.
They recommended for new aircrafts to be purchased into the fleet to prevent “unforseen mishap” to Tinubu and Shetima.
Part of the report , “The Committee is of the strong and informed opinion that considering the fragile structure of the Nigerian federation and recognising the dire consequences of any foreseen or unforeseen mishap that may arise as a result of technical/operational inadequacy of the Presidential Air Fleet, it is in the best interest of the country to procure two additional aircraft as recommended.”
