Presidency Unveils New Presidential Jet, Silent On Cost

The Presidency has officially unveiled one of the new presidential jets, the Airbus A330, purchased by President Bola Tinubu.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga who released the pictures on Monday, said it replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the Presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Onanuga, who was silent on how much it cost the federal government to purchase the new aircraft, said the new plane was bought far below the market price.

He said it saved Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.

 

READ: Chinese Firm Releases Seized Presidential Jet

“The recommendation to replace the B737-700(BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s parliament that questioned the plane’s safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“The Nigerian Senate’s security and intelligence committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses.”

A top government official had earlier told Daily Trust that the aircraft could have been purchased under the Service Wide Vote, which he said, may not require the parliament’s assent.

Osun Defender reports that the aircraft which had been siezed by Zhongfu International Investment Ltd, a Chinese firm was released to the federal government for President Tinubu’s meeting in France.