Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has asked President Bola Tinubu to tell the exact costs of the new Presidential Jet and how old the aircraft is.
Obi made the demand in a series of posts on his X account while reacting to the purchase of the new Presidential Jet which has stirred mixed reactions among Nigerians as many faulted the government’s decision to buy the new Presidential aircraft amid acute hunger and hardship in the country.
He added that Nigerians also deserve to know how the old presidential jets are being disposed, how many of them, how old they are, and why they are being sold.
Stressing that transparency and accountability should be the hallmark of any genuine leadership, Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State said, “From all indications, despite all the denials, and back and forth over the newly acquired Presidential aircraft, the jet is now here thanks to the French court that helped Nigerians to get the information.
“Now that the Jet is here, can Nigerian taxpayers whose money was used to purchase it need to be privy to how much it cost and how old the aircraft is and how long it’s been in operation?
“In addition, Nigerians also deserve to know about how the old jets are being disposed, 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.
“The government will lose nothing but respect, if it fails to provide adequate information about its leadership to the people whose money is being deployed and whose mandate the President is holding.”
He said that a presidential jet is a major symbol of national sovereignty and state power.
According to him, “How much it costs to transport the president is a major issue of public accountability. I hope that Nigerians will not be denied the right of full disclosure on the new presidential jet.”
There have been nationwide controversies over the purchase of new Presidential Jet for President Tinubu, as many Nigerians have decried Tinubu government extravagant spending while over 133 million Nigerians are living in multidimensional poverty.
