Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Senate Denies Approving new Presidential jets for Tinubu, Shettima

POSTED ON June 26, 2024 •   Politics      BY Benedicta Bassey
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio/ Photo credit: Premiumtimes

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has debunked the claim that the Senate has approved the purchase of new presidential jets for the use of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

He described the report as malicious, adding that the National Assembly would approve the purchase of new aircraft for the President and Vice President irrespective of the harsh economic situation in the country.

The alleged report came in the wake of the recommendation by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence to buy new aircraft for the President and the Vice-President as the existing presidential jets are faulty and unsafe for use.

Recall that last week,  President Tinubu flew to South Africa for the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa in a private jet.

The Presidency justified the need to buy new presidential aircraft while reacting to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who described the plan as misplaced and insensitive.

But the Presidency, in a swift reaction, described Obi’s comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the President jeopardised by flying faulty aircraft.

“Does he (Obi) want him (Tinubu) to continue moving around in a rickety plane and die like the VP of Malawi and Iranian President? Let him tell us. This is a basic thing any sane government will do. You can’t toy with your President’s welfare,” presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said.

However, Akpabio, in a statement by his media aide, Jackson Udom, denied that the National Assembly had approved the purchase of new aircraft for the President.

Akpabio in a statement said, “I want to dispel the rumour you are hearing that the Senate President said he would buy a new plane for the President and his Vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever.

“I never said that. I was actually in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is the handiwork of propagandists and fifth columnists, who never see anything good in what we are doing.

“Rest assured, pray for the government, have patience and be assured that the combination of Tinubu and Shettima will bring wealth and prosperity to all."

He expressed satisfaction with the security situation in Borno State and urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the Tinubu administration.

READ ALSO
Nigeria must leverage skills of retired military personnel in security strategy- Babandede
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 25, 2025 0

Muhammed Babandede, a former comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service, has urged Presi...

READ ALSO
Tinubu meets security chiefs, Calls for swift action against ongoing violence
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for an immediate end to the ongoing violence...

READ ALSO
Fani-Kayode criticises Mutfwang's leadership amid security crisis
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

PLATEAU, Nigeria - Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-K...

READ ALSO
2face get appointment as technical adviser to Benue Govt.
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 23, 2025 0

The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia    has appointed music legend, Innocent Idibia...

READ ALSO
Six dead in Okene Accident: Akpoti-Uduaghan Urges Immediate Road Safety Reforms
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 23, 2025 0

KOGI, Nigeria - Following a tragic auto accident in Okene, Kogi State, which resulted in the loss of...

READ ALSO
Tinubu returns to address escalating violence in Nigeria after Paris trip
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 22, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - President Bola Tinubu is set to convene with the service chiefs to address th...

READ ALSO
NPSA urges politicians to prioritise security over 2027 elections as Reps delay plenary till May 6
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 22, 2025 0

The Senate and House of Representatives have delayed their plenary sessions until May 6.  In t...

READ ALSO
Nigeria to conduct census as Tinubu unveils committee focused on technology, coordination
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 17, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - President Bola Tinubu officially launched a high-level committee on the upcoming na...

OUR CHANNELS:

FG commends Ghana for rescuing 219 trafficked Nigerians from cybercrime
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 26, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - The federal government has praised the Ghanaian authorities for rescuing at least 2...


Tinubu meets security chiefs, Calls for swift action against ongoing violence
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for an immediate end to the ongoing violence...


FG releases ₦50Bn for university staff unions, A commitment to educational reform
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, announced on Wednesday that the federal govern...


Fani-Kayode criticises Mutfwang's leadership amid security crisis
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 25, 2025 0

PLATEAU, Nigeria - Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-K...


Father demands justice as Nigerian correctional service dismisses kidnapping allegations
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria - Ogunsinasi Oluwaseyi, the father of 12-year-old Oluwaseyi Favour, who was r...


Ogun shuts  four companies for environmental violations
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 25, 2025 0

OGUN, Nigeria (NAN) - The Ogun state government, via its Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), ha...


IMF urges Nigeria to exercise fiscal caution amid economic reforms
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on Nigeria to exercise caution in its expenditures...


FG urges IMF, World Bank to bolster economic reforms in sub-saharan Africa
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

Finance Minister Wale Edun has emphasized the need for increased global assistance to reform economi...


LASG short 66,000 healthcare practitioners, threat to quality services delivery
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - The Lagos State Government is grappling with a significant shortage of medical prac...


Pope Francis to be buried April 26
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara April 24, 2025 0

Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday, the Vatican announced Tuesday, as world leade...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu