Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District, has vehemently denied claims that the National Assembly approved the purchase of a new presidential jet.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Abaribe stated that no request was brought before the National Assembly for the purchase of a new plane.
“I am in the national assembly, but I can tell you for a fact that nobody, quote me, nobody brought anything to the national assembly to say please approve this for purchase of a new plane,” Abaribe emphasized.
“It was done without my knowledge, nobody brought anything. I never saw any document and I have always been in the national assembly. Ask anyone, none.”
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Abaribe’s statement comes on the heels of widespread criticism of the Presidency’s decision to purchase a new Airbus A330 for President Bola Tinubu. Many Nigerians felt that the President prioritized his luxury while neglecting the economic hardship faced by the masses.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, had earlier defended the purchase, claiming that the jet was not new but “refurbished.”
However, Abaribe’s revelation has raised questions about the lack of transparency and accountability in the procurement process. The senator expressed concern that the failure of the Presidency to approach the National Assembly with a request means that part of the job of the legislator to be a check on the executive is not being efficiently carried out.
Abaribe also lamented the public perception of National Assembly members as rubber-stamped, noting that this perception stems from the lawmakers’ attempts to cooperate with the executive. “We feel that we have fought a lot without much, yet it has not yielded much to the public, and we try to have some cooperation with the executive,” he explained.
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