The House of Representatives has raised concerns over the status of the Presidential Air Fleet after President Bola Tinubu had to charter a private aircraft during his recent official trips to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
The House feared that the development puts the security of Tinubu at risk and doesn’t speak well of the country to the international community.
Reports indicated that a presidential jet encountered mechanical issues during the President’s visit to the Netherlands in April. During deliberations, the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, asserted that there was no issue with a public official, including the President, using commercial flights
Nonetheless, the motion was ultimately set aside. However, the relevant security committees were urged to investigate the matter. The health of the Presidential Air Fleet has been a topic of growing concern. Just last week, a faulty presidential jet prevented Vice President Kashim Shettima from attending the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa.
Also, in December, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) put up a presidential aircraft, the Falcon 900B, for sale, inviting interested parties to submit bids for its purchase.
