Senate didn’t approve new presidential jets, says Akpabio

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said on Tuesday, that the Senate had not approved the purchase of new presidential jets for the use of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

He described as malicious a report quoting him to have said the National Assembly would approve the purchase of new aircraft for the President and Vice President, irrespective of the harsh economic situation in the country.

The alleged report comes in the wake of the recommendation by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence to buy new aircraft for the President and the Vice-President as the existing presidential jets are faulty and unsafe for use.

Last week, President Tinubu flew to South Africa for the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa in a private jet.

The Presidency justified the need to buy new presidential aircraft while reacting to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who described the plan as misplaced and insensitive.

But the Presidency, in a swift reaction, described Obi’s comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the President jeopardised by flying faulty aircraft.

 “Does he (Obi) want him (Tinubu) to continue moving around in a rickety plane and die like the VP of Malawi and Iran President? Let him tell us. This is a basic thing any sane government will do. You can’t toy with your President’s welfare,” presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said.