Yesterday, a photo of the presidential jet
parked at the airport in the UK surfaced
online. Many Nigerians criticized the Federal
government for parking the jet at the
airport, thereby incurring unnecessary
expenses.
In a statement released today, Senior
Special Assistant to President Buhari on
Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba, explained
that the jet is being kept in the UK for
reasons of National security and prestige
accorded world leaders when they travel
abroad. Read his statement after the cut…
The Presidency is constrained to
decry criticisms, mostly on social
media, on the retention in London of
the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001 as
mostly informed by lack of
understanding of protocol around
foreign trips by Heads of State all over
the world. It is important to state that
for reasons of protocol, national
security, diplomacy and prestige,
there is no world leader who travels
abroad andis left without plans for
immediate return or possible
evacuation. From operational point of
view, this country’s Armed Forces as
represented by the Nigeria Air Force
are not to abandon their
Commander-In-Chief in whichever
circumstance he is. This is a standard
operating procedure. We have also
read claims about outrageous fees
allegedly paid by Nigeria. The
published amounts are totally untrue.
Aircraft conveying heads of state all
over the world usually enjoy waivers
even where payments for parking are
differentiated by aircraft categories.
We been assured that where the
waiver is not granted, payment will
not exceed £1,000, which is a quarter
of the amount being peddled. For the
avoidance of doubt, this President is
not the first to have a presidential
aircraft standing by for him, as he will
certainly not be the last. All past Heads
of this country have had this
privilege, and the part that surprises
the most is that leaders who in the
past travelled with three Nigerian
aircraft did not suffer this trenchant
criticism. We appeal to Nigerians to
ignore opposition campaign aimed at
derailing this administration’s big
plans for the country. This is a
government that is constructing the
Second Niger Bridge, the Mambila
Power Plant, the East-West and the
North-South standard gauge railway
lines. We are a government that has
saved this country an annual loss of
two trillion Naira from fraudulent
petroleum subsidy schemes by
influential citizens and their children,
and rid the public service of about
50,000 ghost workers. The Buhari
administration certainly deserves a
chance.
