A member representing Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency, Gombe State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ali Isah has said that the faulty presidential jets have presented a rare opportunity for President Bola Tinubu and other leaders in the country to travel by road and appreciate the state of the roads.
Isah stated this at the plenary on Wednesday while contributing to an urgent motion on need to investigate the airworthiness of all aircrafts in the presidential airfleet to forestall unwarranted national tragedy Hon. Ahmed Satomi.
His words, “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.”
But, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu who presided over Wednesday’s plenary, was startled by his contribution during the debate.
“Are you saying Mr President, the number one leader should travel around by road?,” he asked rhetorically.
Lending his voice, the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda was of the opinion that there was nothing unheard of if the President chartered a private jet.
He said if the UK Prime Minister could fly with British Airways, there was nothing wrong in a public officer flying a commercial jet.
He said: ‘In Britain, the Prime Minister flies British Airways. I don’t see anything wrong with a public officer using commercial transportation.”
Dissatisfied with Chinda’s point of view, Hon. Sada Soli accused him of misinforming the House.
He said the British Prime Minister flies British Airways special flights, just like the Queen of England flies British Airways special flights which are exclusively kept for both government officials.
Chinda however stood his ground, saying the British Airways is not the British Air Force, adding that the British Airways is a private company.
He noted that the presidency was only preparing ground to acquire a new aircraft.
The Lawmaker added that if there is a presidential fleet, they should be maintained and the President and the Vice President and senior officers that are supposed to use those fleets ought to use them.
Chinda stated: “If we have failed to maintain them, I don’t think that is an issue for us to even discuss in the parliament, what it means is that there is failure in the system. If the president and the presidency wants a new aircraft, the next year’s budget is by the corner, it can be part of the budget, not to begin to lay foundation for it. if it gets to this place, if it is considered worthy enough and able to defend it, I’m sure that we will pass it.
“So it is not an issue for us to discuss that the Vice President flew a chartered jet. I don’t think it is. I think that we should go into more generic issues. In fact, if you feel ashamed of it, then we should not make it a public discourse. Because what it goes to say is that, we, as a country, we are unable as a country to maintain our presidential fleet.