On Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that the Senate has not approved the purchase of new presidential jets for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Akpabio refuted reports suggesting that he had stated the National Assembly would endorse the acquisition of new aircraft for the President and Vice President, despite the country’s economic difficulties.
The controversy arose following a recommendation by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence to procure new aircraft for the President and Vice President, citing the current presidential jets as faulty and unsafe. Last week, President Tinubu traveled to South Africa for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration using a private jet.
The Presidency defended the necessity of new presidential aircraft in response to criticism from Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, who deemed the plan insensitive. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga countered Obi’s remarks, stressing the importance of ensuring the President’s safety. “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,” Onanuga asserted.
Akpabio, through a statement by his media aide, Jackson Udom, denied any Senate approval for new aircraft. Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, Borno State, after leading a delegation to offer condolences to Senator Tahir Monguno on his father’s passing, Akpabio addressed the rumors. “I want to dispel the rumour that you are hearing that the Senate President said he would buy a new plane for the President and his Vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever. I never said that. I was actually in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is the handiwork of propagandists and fifth columnists, who never see anything good in what we are doing. Rest assured, pray for the government, have patience, and be assured that the combination of Tinubu and Shettima will bring wealth and prosperity to all,” Akpabio clarified.
He also expressed satisfaction with the improved security situation in Borno State and encouraged Nigerians to support the Tinubu administration. “I am happy to see that peace has returned to Borno, as a result of the hard work of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want to tell the good people of Borno to continue to support the administration,” Akpabio concluded.
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