August 21, (THEWILL) – Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 General elections, Peter Obi, has challenged Presidential Bola Tinubu to make public the amount paid for the new presidential jet and how long the aircraft has been in existence.
THEWILL earlier reported that President Tinubu travelled to France with the Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to investigation, the Federal Government took delivery of the aircraft with registration number 5N-FGA and HEX CODE, 06430C, from a factory in France on Sunday, August 18, 2024, after a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co., which regained custody of the jet following a court order in Paris, released it on a goodwill gesture to the President ahead of his trip to France.
Reports, however, say the Airbus A330 was first used by Mid East Jet between November 27, 2009, and May 25, 2012. The airline, however, transferred it to Constellah Aviation in May 2012. It was further transferred back to Mid East Jet on September 24, 2014, before it was sold to Nigeria.
Speaking in a statement on Tuesday night, Obi said Nigeria taxpayers whose money was used to purchase the jet need to know how much it cost, how old the aircraft is and how long it has been in operation.
The former Anambra governor, however, noted that President Tinubu’s government would lose nothing but respect if it failed to provide adequate information about his leadership to the people whose money was being deployed and whose mandate the President was holding.
“In addition, Nigerians also deserve to know how many of them, how old they are, and why they are being sold. Transparency and accountability should be the hallmark of any genuine leadership.
“A presidential jet is a major symbol of national sovereignty and state power. How much it costs to transport the President is a major issue of public accountability,” he said.
