The House of Representatives has resolved to probe the failure of the Presidential Air Fleet to perform optimally, leading to a situation where the President and Vice President have to resort to the use of chartered flight for their engagements.
The House ordered its committee on National Security to probe and find out the reason behind the Presidential Air Fleet failing to perform optimally, putting the security and lives of the president and vice president at risk.
DAILY POST recalls that Vice President Kashim Shettima canceled his trip to the United States where he was scheduled to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit, due to a fault in his aircraft.
The House also mandated the committee 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 the optimum capacity needed to guarantee presidential safety.
The Committee is to proffer recommendations that will ensure lasting and sustainable solutions to these incidents which have brought shame and embarrassment to the country.
Moving the motion of urgent public importance, Ahmed Satomi (APC, Borno) informed the House that President Bola Tinubu was forced to fly in a chartered plane in April from the Netherlands to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum because of a faulty presidential aircraft, while Vice President Shettima used a chartered jet recently as presidential jets were undergoing repairs.
While expressing love for the President and Vice president, the lawmaker described such an incident as a national embarrassment despite billions of naira budgeted yearly to maintain the air fleets.
Contributing to the motion, the member representing Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency of Gombe State, Ali Isah JC said the President should abandon the fleet and travel by road, saying it will be an opportunity for the roads to be made better.
He said: “I think this will afford our President and other leaders the opportunity 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 traveling with 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.
Reps to investigate malfunctioning of Presidential Air Fleet