The House of Representatives has decided to investigate the underperformance of the Presidential Air Fleet, which has led to the President and Vice President resorting to chartered flights for their engagements.
In response, the House has tasked its committee on National Security with probing the reasons behind the suboptimal performance of the Presidential Air Fleet, citing concerns for the security and safety of the president and vice president.
The decision follows Vice President Kashim Shettima’s cancellation of a trip to the United States, where he was slated to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit, due to an aircraft fault.
Furthermore, the committee is mandated to summon the National Security Adviser, the Commandant of the Presidential Air Fleet, and other relevant officials to provide explanations for the fleet’s operational challenges.
The Committee’s objective is to formulate recommendations for lasting solutions to these incidents, which have tarnished the country’s image.
During the discussion, Ahmed Satomi (APC, Borno) highlighted an instance where President Bola Tinubu had to resort to a chartered plane due to a faulty presidential aircraft, while Vice President Shettima recently utilized a chartered jet as presidential jets were undergoing repairs.
Expressing concern, lawmakers stressed that such occurrences are a national embarrassment, considering the substantial annual budget allocated for maintaining the air fleet.
In addition, Ali Isah JC, representing Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency of Gombe State, suggested that the President should opt for road travel instead of relying on the fleet, viewing it as an opportunity to improve road infrastructure.
He said: “I think this will allow our President and other leaders to travel by road and appreciate the state of our roads. This happens all the time in some countries of the world.”
Following the suggestion, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary, asked, “Are you saying Mr President, the number one leader should travel around by road?”
On his part, Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda said there was nothing wrong with the President travelling by chartered flight, saying, “In Britain, the Prime Minister flies British Airways which is a commercial flight. I don’t see anything wrong with a public officer using commercial transportation.”
Chinda however said that bringing the motion to the floor of the House was not necessary as the relevant committee must go ahead with the investigation without necessarily bringing it to the floor of the House.
Chinda said that rather than dedicate so much energy to the issue of the Presidential fleet, there was a need to look for ways of resuscitation of a national career as a way out of the embarrassment.
The Deputy Speaker stated that it was unnecessary to bring the motion before the entire House, saying it falls within the relevant committee’s duty to investigate the incident if deemed appropriate.
He therefore called for the motion to be stepped down.
