Tag: Presidential Jet
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MUST READ: Inside details of Tinubu’s new presidential jet
Following months of speculations, the Presidency on Monday finally confirmed the acquisition of a “new” presidential jet for the use of President Bola Tinubu.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), however, reports the presidential jet acquired by the Nigerian government is a 15-year-old aircraft built as Airbus A330-200.
The Nigerian government acquired the Airbus A330-200 to replace the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 (BBJ), acquired under Olusegun Obasanjo as president.
During an investigative hearing, the National Assembly (NASS) had questioned the safety record and cost efficiency of the Boeing B737-700 (BBJ), especially after it malfunctioned during a trip Tinubu had with it to Saudi Arabia.
The first official assignment the newly acquired Airbus A330-200 presidential jet would engage in is a trip by President Tinubu to Paris, France.
Produced in Toulouse, the capital of France’s southern Occitanie region, the newly acquired presidential jet, delivered on 18 August 2024, has been registered 5N-FGA by the Nigerian government.
Photo of the presidential jet newly acquired by the Nigerian government || Photo Credit: Skyliner – aviation new and more Investigations by TNG reveal the Airbus A330-200 was first operated by Midroc Aviation in Saudi Arabia with its main base at the Jeddah King Abdulaziz International airport.
Configured for very important personalities (VIP) and delivered to Midroc Aviation in November 2009, the aircraft was stored at Tarbes Lourdes airport in France until it was ferried on 23 Apr 2012 to Châteauroux-Centre Marcel Dassault Airport for repainting.
The aircraft was subsequently ferried from Châteauroux-Centre Marcel Dassault Airport in May 2012 to Dallas Love Field airport in Dallas, Texas for cabin outfitting.
TNG reports cabin outfitting involves customizing an aircraft to make it truly unique. The long list of customizable features includes functional elements like options for cabin entertainment, wi-fi internet, galley appointments, controllable lighting, and sound systems, to cabin comfort features and aesthetic details.
The interior furnishings of the aircraft can also be modified during cabin outfitting with new carpeting, upholstery, headliners, and sidewalls.
In 2021, AMAC Aerospace would acquire the aircraft from Midroc Aviation and had it stored at Basel Airport in Switzerland, from where the Nigerian government purchased it.
An online news platform had earlier in June revealed that the Nigerian government reportedly acquired the Airbus A330 from a German bank. The bank reportedly seized the aircraft from an unnamed Arabian prince, who defaulted on a substantial debt.
The cabin outfitting of the aircraft, after the Nigerian government acquired it, features a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom at the front, followed by an office and a conference and dining room. It also has an airline-style first-class and economy seating at the rear.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has failed to disclose the amount spent to acquire the presidential jet, now being operated by the Nigeria Air Force (NAF).
According to Mr Bayo Onanuga, Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, the Airbus A330-200 was bought at a price far below market rates, without specific mention of any sum.
“The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly,” Onanuga stated.
The apparent lack of transparency and communication has left many questioning the process behind the acquisition of the presidential jet.
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No request for presidential jet before us – Senate
The Senate, on Thursday, said there was no request from the Presidency to approve the purchase of a Presidential aircraft.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, during plenary, dismissed speculations that the Upper Chamber was debating approval of a Presidential aircraft in the 2024 supplementary budget.
Opeyemi said: “Senate is aware of insinuations that the its President, Godswill Akpabio ,either had at one time, indicated that we had a request for purchase of a new plane to be approved for President Tinubu.
“And that President of the Senate had indicated that regardless of what Nigerians were going through, that it will be approved.
“As we sit here, a section of the social media had also been circulating that we had gone into an executive session to discuss about the presidential request for a new plane and how we are going to approve it.
“Let me alert Nigerians that there is the presence of a fifth columnist and some other propagandists who are doing everything possible to destabilise this country and also destabilise the parliament.
“I say for the record, as the Leader of this Senate, that there is no request before this us as of yet.”
The Senate Leader added that there had not been a basis for the Red Chamber to debate whether to approve a Presidential aircraft or not.
“It has never been discussed either on the floor of this Senate or among individual senators or at the executive session.
“There is no such request. If the request comes, it is not about the President of the Senate alone.
“It is for 469 elected representatives of the Nigerian people to discuss and take a position. 360 in the House of Representatives, 109 in the senate.”he said.
Reacting ,Akpabiosaid: “When you hear stories such as the death of the Vice President of Malawi as a result of a defective plane and then you hear stories such as the death of the President of Iran, as a result of defective helicopter, we should never dream and allow such to be our portion, it will not be.
“The Senate is responsible, the National Assembly is very responsible. We will look into issues that will benefit the governance of the country.
“Those speculating know very well that something like that may come in future, and if it is a necessity, the Senate will look into it. But ,there is nothing like that before us now,” Akpabio said.
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Reps express worry over faulty presidential jet which made Tinubu to fly private jet
The House of Representatives has raised concerns over the status of the Presidential Air Fleet after President Bola Tinubu had to charter a private aircraft during his recent official trips to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
After a motion of urgent importance by a lawmaker, Ahmad Satomi, the House feared that this puts the security of the President at risk and doesn’t speak well of the country to the international community.
This followed reports that a presidential jet developed some faults while the President was in the Netherlands in April.
The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, in his contribution, said there was nothing wrong with a public official including the President flying commercial jets.
The motion was, however, stepped down but the relevant security committees were urged to carry out an investigation into the matter.
The health state of the Presidential Air Fleet has been source of concern of late.
Last week, a faulty presidential jet stopped Vice President Kashim Shettima from attending the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa.
Last December, a presidential aircraft, Falcon 900B, was put up for sale, with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) asking interested persons to submit their bids for the purchase of the aircraft.
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Knocks as Seyi Tinubu flies Presidential jet to attend social event in Kano
The controversial use of a presidential jet for non-official and personal purposes by Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, has stirred outrage and condemnation.
On Sunday, Seyi Tinubu was flown to Kano in a presidential jet to attend the finals of the Kano International Polo Tournament, an event he attended as a polo enthusiast and patron of a Lagos-based polo team.
Reports confirm the presidential jet landed in Kano on Sunday, where Seyi Tinubu was welcomed by officials of the presidency, Kano State government, and the Kano Polo Club.
He was then transported under heavy security to the Usman Dantata Polo Ground for the tournament’s final matches.
Once the event concluded, the presidential jet ferried him and his associates back to Abuja, the nation’s capital where he resides.
Even before this incident, Seyi Tinubu had been known for frequent use of the presidential jet for personal travels, either accompanied by his father or associates.
Nigerians have raised concerns about the misuse of government resources and have called for the responsible use of national assets and stricter adherence to ethical conduct by public figures.
Jaafar Jaafar, a Nigerian journalist based in London, expressed his discontent on X (formerly Twitter).
Jaafar wrote: “Here’s Tinubu’s golden child, Seyi, travelling in a presidential jet to watch polo in Kano… Even if our laws are vague on this, one thing is clear: this is an offence to the moral code of leadership.”
Another X user, Bello Anka, added, “What about the misuse of a special forces unit as his bodyguards? See them in the pictures. The other day, he was skateboarding in Abuja with them running alongside. This perpetuates the culture of impunity from the previous government, possibly on an even larger scale this time.”
However, the controversy surrounding the misuse of the presidential jet is not new, as it has been previously criticised during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, when his youngest daughter Hanan, used the presidential jet for a private trip.
Reacting to the incident, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, pointed that “the official policy does not authorise the children of the President to use the presidential jets to attend to private social functions”.
Falana reiterated, “Using of the aircraft in the presidential fleet by members of the first family to attend to private engagements is not backed by any extant law or official policy”.
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FG puts presidential jet up for sale
The Federal Government has put up for sale a jet in the Presidential fleet, Hawker 4000 aircraft with registration number, 5N-FGX/: RC 066.
The business-size jet which entered into service in December 2011, has capacity for nine passengers and three crews.
Findings indicate that only 73 Hawker 4000 aircraft were manufactured by Hawker Beechcraft between 2001 and 2013 and they were sold for $22.91 million each as of 2012.
The FG in a published advert on Wednesday disclosed that the aircraft with a range of 3,190-nautical mile had flown for 1,768 hours.
It said the aircraft could be inspected at the Presidential Air Fleet’s hangar located at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Interested buyers were requested to submit their closed bid to the Chairman, Committee for Sale of Aircraft, Office of the National Security Adviser, care of Special Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
In an advertisement published in some national dailies on Wednesday, prospective buyers were directed to submit a refundable bank draft for $50,000 to the committee with the bid.
It also said that all the bids should be quoted in United States dollars.
The notice read, “Please note that all bids must be submitted within one week of this publication. Background check is required as a pre-qualification for the bid. Prospective bidders who want to inspect the aircraft will be granted access within one week from this advertisement.”
The Presidency had similarly in 2016 put up for sale two presidential aircraft, a Falcon 7X executive jet and Hawker 4000, in line with the directive of the President, President Muhammadu Buhari, that aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet should be reduced to cut down on waste.
The government also said some aircraft in the fleet would be handed over to the Nigeria Air Force for its operations. It could not be confirmed if this had been done.
According to the Presidency, the PAF has 10 aircraft and they include Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-800 or AirForce One), one Gulfstream 550, one Gulfstream V (Gulfstream 500), two Falcons 7X, one Hawker Sidley 4000, two AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters and two AgustaWestland AW 101 helicopters.
Reports said each of the two Falcon 7X jets was purchased in 2010 for $51.1m, while the Gulfstream 550 costs $53.3m.
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No law backs Buhari’s family’s use of Presidential Jet – Falana
It is illegal for any member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s family to use the presidential jet for private purposes, activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has said.
He said such action is not backed by any extant law or official policy.
The lawyer urged President Buhari to stop members of his family from using any of the aircraft in the presidential fleet “with a view to cutting down on waste”.Falana said: “A country that is said to be the headquarters of the greatest number of poverty-stricken people in the world cannot afford to waste billions of naira on the use of presidential aircraft and hiring of commercial jets by governors that are owing workers several months of unpaid salaries.”
In a statement yesterday in Lagos, titled: “President’s Children Are Not Authorised to Use Presidential Jets,” in reaction to reports that one of the daughters of President Buhari on January 10, 2020, reportedly travelled from Abuja to Bauchi in a presidential jet for a private engagement in breach of the official policy of the Federal Government.
Notwithstanding the public outrage that followed the use of the presidential jet by the President’s daughter, presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu reportedly defended the action, saying: “The normal practice in existence for a long time is that the presidential air fleet is available to the President and the first family and four others. These four are: the Vice-President, the Senate President the Speaker (of the House of Representatives) and any other person(s) authorised by the President.”
But Falana disagreed with Shehu, insisting that the Presidency should have apologised for the breach of the official policy of government on the matter.
“The statement credited to the Presidency is incorrect as it is at variance with the official policy of the Federal Government. In other words, the official policy does not authoris -
PDP condemns Buhari for allowing daughter fly presidential jet for private use
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing her daughter to be flown in the presidential jet for her personal event.
The PDP on Saturday said the action shows that Buhari continues to abuse his office and further shows the recklessness in the Presidency.
TheNewsGuru had reported that the Presidency said the President’s wife and his children are entitled to use the presidential jet.
Buhari’s media aide Garba Shehu made this known in a statement on Saturday while reacting to the criticism that followed the use of the presidential jet by Buhari’s daughter to a private ceremony in Bauchi State.
In a statement, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the President should apologise for approving that her daughter should use the presidential jet for the purpose of taking photographs in Bauchi State.
According to the PDP, the President does not have any powers to transfer any paraphernalia of office or privileges of his position to any of his children.
Ologbondiyan said: “It is even most appalling that instead of apologising to Nigerians, the Presidency, in its arrogance, is resorting to falsehood and trying to justify the inexcusable.
“Our party holds that Mr President should apologise for approving that her daughter use the presidential jet just for the purpose of allegedly taking photographs in a durbar in Bauchi State.”
He added, “The rules do not grant the President any powers to transfer any paraphernalia of office or privileges of his position to any of his children.
“The Presidency’s defence is, therefore, a direct spat on millions of Nigerians who cannot freely ply our highways because Mr President and his party the APC, have failed to fix and rid our roads of kidnappers and bandits, who have practically taken over major routes under their despicable watch.”
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Presidency responds to critics of Buhari’s daughter’s use of presidential jet
Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said wife and children of President Muhammadu Buhari, have the right to use the Presidential jet when they want.
Garba Shehu’s reaction followed the criticisms from some Nigerians over the decision of the President to allow his daughter, Hanan, to use the Presidential jet to attend a private function in Bauchi on Thursday.
Shehu noted that Hanan sought and received approval from her father who in turn informed the National Security Adviser.
“It’s true that a member of the First Family was flown to Bauchi yesterday on a mission duly authorised.
“It wasn’t an impromptu or improper trip because it followed normal procedure. The Presidency informed the National Security Adviser of the mission who in turn informed the Commander of the Presidential Air Fleet.
“The normal practice in existence for a long time is that the Presidential Air fleet is available to the President and the first family and four others. These four are the Vice President, the Senate President the Speaker and any other person(s) authorised by the President,” Shehu said.
