President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s purchase of a new presidential plane has sparked a new controversy, with Nigerian MPs denying any knowledge or consent of the purchase.
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The National Assembly maintains that it was not involved in the decision-making process over the recent purchase of an Airbus A330 aircraft, which raises concerns about the openness of government spending.
The first mention of the Airbus A330 being purchased by the Nigerian government from a German bank appeared on an internet news outlet in late June.
According to reports, the aircraft was seized by the bank from an unidentified Arabian royal who had fallen behind on a significant bill.
over the transparency of government spending, the National Assembly argues that it was not consulted during the decision-making process over the recent acquisition of an Airbus A330 aircraft.
In late June, an online news source carried the first report that the Nigerian government had bought an A330 from a German bank.
The airplane was reportedly taken from an unnamed Arabian monarch by the bank because they were late on a sizable bill.
Akpabio highlighted the potential risks associated with using outdated or defective aircraft, referencing incidents involving the vice president of Malawi and the president of Iran, who both died in plane crashes.
“We care about the president and the Nigerian people. We will approve things that will benefit the Nigerian people,” Akpabio stated, emphasising that the matter had not yet been tabled for consideration.
“The Senate is very responsible. The National Assembly is very responsible. We will look into issues that will benefit the governance of the country,” he asserted.
Despite these assurances, Akpabio was clear that no such request had been made to the Senate.
The controversy deepened when three Nigerian aircraft were seized by a Chinese firm, acting on a French court’s order amid a legal dispute between the Ogun State government and Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment.
..In order to enable President Tinubu to travel to a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Chinese company released an Airbus A330 that had been taken into custody.
This development gave rise to rumors that the aircraft that was released could be the identical one that Tinubu recently bought.
“That is settled,” a presidential official said in reference to the transaction. Something that is now available… How could the Chinese corporation withhold it if it wasn’t bought? There’s no dispute about that.
The unnamed official hinted that the aircraft might have been purchased through the Service Wide Vote, which might not have needed National Assembly approval.
A Senate disclosed, “At no time was [the deal] discussed at the plenary meeting. It was not tabled.”
Another source echoed this sentiment, adding that the last communication from the Senate President indicated that no official request had been received from the Presidency.
Members of the House of Representatives also voiced their concerns, with one member stating, “We’ve not seen anything in the main budget or the supplementary budget about the purchase of a new presidential aircraft. It was presented as a lump sum… So, we cannot say anything until we see the details.”
The apparent lack of transparency and communication has left many questioning the process behind the acquisition of the new presidential jet.
As the National Assembly awaits further details, the public continues to seek answers on how the multi-million-dollar deal was finalised without legislative oversight.