FG WASTES NBILLIONS YEARLY ON UNUSED AIRCRAFT

For a country that does not boast of a national carrier, Nigeria does spend a lot on maintaining aircraft. Interestingly, these airplanes belong to the Presidential Air Fleet, PAF. Investigation revealed that there are over six aircraft in the fleet, among them a Boeing Business jet, acquired by former president Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo at N6 billion; an HS 125-800B, a Gulfstream IV, and two planes in the Falcon 900B series.

Among the many things giving many a watcher concern is the manner some of these aging airplanes are rotting away at the PAF because the presidency hardly makes use of them. The cost, in terms of time and money expended on maintenance of the aircraft, is also worrisome to some concerned Nigerians. For reference, in 2012, the Falcon 900 (5N-FGO) spent eight months on maintenance, while the Falcon 900 (5N-FGE) spent 12 months on maintenance in 2013. The two Falcon 900Bs have had multiple engine failure within the last four years. Additionally the Gulfstream IV spent about six months on maintenance in 2013 and four months in 2014.

The cost of maintaining the aging aircraft in the fleet is increasing significantly on an annual basis due to the need for more in-depth maintenance to keep them airworthy. The maintenance of the Gulfstream IV for instance, is speculated to have cost $8 million in 2012. The maintenance of Falcon 900B gulped $4.8 million the following year. While the government has hidden under the guise of the insecurity menace affecting the globe in the excessive acquisition, intelligent Nigerians are questioning the rationale espoused by the leaders for the colossal expenditures in the face of biting and spreading impoverishment of the masses.

A country like Libya with oil reserves of comparable quantity to Nigeria’s, even in the hey day of Muammar Ghadaffi had just two airplanes for its president. Gabon, with oil reserves believed to be much more than Nigeria’s, has just one for its president’s movement while USA has fewer than six for its executive movement.

Nigerians are now calling on the federal government under the leadership Muhammadu Buhari to sell off some of the airplanes and use the resultant revenue to create jobs for the army of unemployed.