The House of Representatives on Wednesday condemned President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Holland with a chartered jet despite the huge budget outlay for a large fleet of jets for the president.
The House then resolved to carry out a comprehensive investigation on the airworthiness and technical status of all the aircrafts in the Presidential Air Fleet including the professional competence of the engineers/technicians of the Fleet.
The House also resolved to invite the National Security Adviser, The Commandant of the Presidential Air Fleet and any other relevant officer(s) of government to give detailed explanations on why the Fleet is not operating at optimum capacity needed to guarantee presidential safety.
These resolutions of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance moved at Plenary by a member representing Jere federal constituency in Borno State, Hon. Ahmed Satomi.
The motion “Need To Investigate the Airworthiness of all Aircrafts in the Presidential Air Fleet to forestall Unwarranted National Tragedy” is to proffer recommendations that will ensure lasting and sustainable solution to these incidents which has brought shame and embarrassment to the country.
In a lead debate, Hon. Satomi said he is alarmed that despite the heavy budget of the Presidential Air fleet, under the office of the national security adviser as appropriated yearly by the national assembly, the fleets are not being maintained.
“Alarmed by reports on various media platforms that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was forced to travel to Saudi Arabia on a Chartered flight for the World Economic Forum in Riyadh because the presidential Jet developed a fault in the Netherlands.
“Further alarmed by screaming news reports of May 6, 2024 by a faulty Presidential jet which occurred on Monday, 6” May, 2024 has aborted Vice President Kashim Shetima’s trip to the United States of America for the 2024 Us-africa Business Summit In Dallas Texas.
“Aware that this report was corroborated in the press release by Stanley Nwokocha, senior special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, stating that the Vice President Kashim Shetima who was originally scheduled to represent the president was unable to make the trip following technical fault with the aircraft, forcing him to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet’.
“Disturbed that these occurrences pose a clear present and imminent threat to the life of the president, the Vice President and other very important personalities who use the fleet from time to time.
“Gravely disturbed that any calamity which may arise if these aircrafts are not immediately put into premium operational status has the potential not only to cause major upheaval to the stability of democracy in Nigeria but may also significantly affect the security and peace of the country.
“Worried by the seeming laxity of the technical management of the Fleet to keep the aircrafts in optimum condition for the safety of the president, the vice president and other VIPs despite the appropriations for the maintenance of the fleet by the National Assembly.
“Determined to arrest this ugly situation in order to forestall any fearful tragedy that might pose an existential threat to the peace and unity of this country
The House further mandated its Committee on National Security and Intelligence to ensure compliance and report back within 4 weeks.