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The procurement of a new presidential air fleet by President Bola Tinubu-led administration amidst the economic crisis bedevilling the country has caused a stir in Nigeria’s social space.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls that the Presidency unveiled the new Airbus A330 recently purchased on Monday.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who released the pictures, said it replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the Presidency of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Onanuga, however, kept the amount spent by the Nigerian government to acquire the new presidential jet private.
He said it saved Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.
Onanuga said, “The recommendation to replace the B737-700(BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s parliament that questioned the plane’s safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia.
“The Nigerian Senate’s security and intelligence committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses.”
Reacting, Lawyer cum activist, Deji Adeyanju, accused Tinubu of not being a good leader.
Speaking, Adeyanju, in a post via his Facebook account berated Tinubu, saying he was behaving like former Military Head of State, Sani Abacha.
The activist said Tinubu is behaving like Abacha pro max, adding that critics don’t make good leaders.
Adeyanju wrote: “Critics don’t make good leaders. If in doubt, just look at Tinubu. The guy is acting like a Sani Abacha pro max just under one year. A hypocrite that can’t take what he gives.
“Just got back to Abuja from Lagos and saw Tinubu’s outrageously huge presidential jet.”
He also wrote in another post: “I have not recovered from the shock of how big Tinubu’s presidential jet is. It is so huge. We cannot subsidize the poor and the economy but we can subsidize Tinubu and politicians. Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder that could go off at any moment.”
On her part, Obi Ezekwesilli, slammed the Presidency for indulging in the worst display of fiscal rascacity when the country is highly overburdened with all kinds of debts.
The former minister via X on Tuesday, accused Nigerian leaders of spending scarce public funds on projects and luxuries while asking the poor masses to “sacrifice for the future”.
The statement reads, “The Obscene Indulgence of our Political and Public Officials in a Season of Famine.
“What a big shame on the @NigeriaGov of @NGRPresident @officialABAT and the lawmakers @nassnigeria !
“The worst display of Fiscal Rascality is when political and public leaders of a country that is highly overburdened with Debts of all kinds, choose to spend scarce public resources on prestige projects and luxuries.
“Imagine the @NGRPresident and his Vice, @NGRSenate and @HouseNGR of @nassnigeria and the Governors of mostly unviable 36 States enjoying obscene luxuries while asking the Poor “to sacrifice for the future”.
“Something will have to give someday soon, because this level of unjust governance is frankly not sustainable. The Class War that members of the Nigerian political class are asking for by their insensitivity to the plight of the people will for sure end their fiscal rascality.
“Again, this level of unjust governance is frankly not sustainable. For one, the current Citizens’ restiveness will remain with us no matter how much the folks in @NigeriaGov pretend that it is not hunger that drove citizens into the massive #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.
“Having been following the raging controversy on the “Salaries of Lawmakers @nassnigeria” the deja vu is uncanny; recalling a similar uproar that followed a Keynote Speech I delivered on Cost of Governance on August 19, 2013 @cislacnigeria conference. Yesterday was exactly eleven years ago of that saga.”
Omoyele Sowore, in a series of posts via his official X handle, criticized the Tinubu for buying jets and a bulletproof vehicle within the first year of his Presidency amid the country’s ongoing hardship and bad economic status.
The publisher and former presidential candidate disclosed that the primary focus of Nigerian leaders appears to be satisfying their interests rather than the effective resolution of the issues confronting the citizens.
The politician and publisher said: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said one year isn’t enough for Nigerians to enjoy a better country, but look at what he bought for himself in just one year: yacht, jet, bulletproof Escalade, mansion for VP. #RevolutionNow.”
In another post, Sowore wrote: “Bola Tinubu finally launched his $150 million presidential jumbo jet on his way to Paris. The only thing that makes these thieving rulers in Nigeria happy is when they fulfil their personal desires; they don’t care about the people.
“Day of fun at the expense of suffering Nigerians, @officialABAT jumbo luxury Presidential Jet arrives Nice, France.”
