The Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, allocated a total of N14.77 billion for the repair and maintenance of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet over an 11-month period, according to a State House report.
The payments, executed in 11 separate tranches spanning from July 16, 2023, to May 25, 2024, were processed through the ‘Presidential Air Fleet Transit Funds’ account at the State House headquarters, a report by Sunday PUNCH said.
The allocation coincides with ongoing deliberations in the National Assembly regarding the acquisition of two new aircraft. This move comes after concerns were raised about the functionality of the President’s 19-year-old Boeing 737 and other aircraft in the fleet, which have experienced operational challenges.
A report from the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence highlighted the urgent need for additional aircraft, estimating the procurement cost at over $623.4 million or N918.7 billion. The committee stressed the critical importance of maintaining a reliable and safe fleet, crucial for the duties and security of the President and Vice President of Nigeria.
The condition of the presidential air fleet has sparked significant debate, despite substantial past expenditures by previous administrations. The current situation has led President Tinubu to occasionally charter private jets, while Vice President Shettima had to cancel international trips due to technical faults with official aircraft.
According to report, as of now, the Presidential Air Fleet consists of six main aircraft: a Boeing 737, Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream GV, two Falcon 7Xs, and a Challenger CL605, alongside six helicopters. During the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, N62.47 billion was expended on the fleet’s operation and maintenance. However, pledges to reduce fleet size to cut governance costs were not fully realized, with allocations fluctuating over recent fiscal years.
GovSpend, a civic tech platform, confirmed that President Tinubu’s administration authorized the disbursement of N14.77 billion within a year of assuming office. This expenditure excludes costs related to the President’s and Vice President’s domestic and international travels.
Payments commenced with N1.52 billion approved in July 2023 for maintenance, followed by subsequent disbursements: N3.1 billion in August, N1.26 billion in November 2023, N2.54 billion in March 2024, N6.35 billion in April 2024, and N1.27 billion in May 2024.
Last Wednesday, it was reported that President Tinubu departed Lagos for South Africa to attend the inauguration of the country’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa in a private jet belonging to his Lebanese ally, Gilbert Chagoury.
The Nigerian President arrived at Waterkloof Air Force Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital, on Tuesday evening.
Video and pictures released by the South African presidential media team showed Tinubu disembarked from a Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft.
However, it was gathered that the private jet marked 9H-GRC was owned by Chagoury Group, a conglomerate owned by Gilbert Chagoury, a known business partner of the Nigerian President.
A further check on an aircraft registration database revealed that the private jet and others owned by the group are operated by Hyperion Aviation.
