Senate will approve new aircraft for Tinubu, Shettima if required – Akpabio

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said members of the upper chamber will not hesitate to approve new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima if there is a need.

Mr Akpabio stated this on Wednesday during the plenary.

He was responding to criticisms from Nigerians who condemned the planned purchase of new aircraft for Messrs Tinubu and Shettima because of the harsh economic situation in the country.

Mr Akpabio insisted that no amount of blackmail would prevent the lawmakers from approving new presidential jets for the two leaders “if it is a necessity.”

The senate president, however, clarified that the presidency has yet to request for the new aircraft as speculated in some sections of the media.

“The Senate is very responsible. The National Assembly is very responsible. We will look into issues that will benefit the governance of the country irrespective of anticipatory blackmail. They know very well that something like that might come in future. And if it is a necessity, the Senate will look into it. But there is nothing like that before us now,” Mr Akpabio said.

Responding to criticism on social media

The senate president submitted that it will be unprofessional to respond to criticism emanating from the social media during plenary.

He reiterated that he never assured of the purchase of new aircraft for Messrs Tinubu and Mr Shettima.

Mr Akpabio said, “It is not good for us to run the Senate by answering people in the social media because the social media is garbage in garbage out.

“I was in Zanzibar attending an Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting when that information went out that the senate president said he would approve a brand new plan for the president irrespective of whether they are suffering or not suffering.

“There was never a time such a statement came from me because I’ve never had any correspondence to approve a plan or not approve a plan and I did not want to answer, but they went to generate it and then they went around as if I was saying that I did not care about the Nigerian people. I did not do this.

“We care about the president. We care about the Nigerian people. We will approve things that will benefit the Nigerian people. We will approve things that would improve the living standard of the people.

“At the same time, we will also take cognisance of the duties of Mr President. If his vehicle is bad, we will repair the vehicle. If his plane is bad, we will approve money for the repair of the plane. So that is not an issue. There is nothing before us. I don’t think you should worry about it.

“I read the president’s correspondences to us. There was nothing about plane or no plane, but I can tell you that when you hear stories such as the death of the vice president of Malawi as a result of a defective plane, and then you hear incidents such as the death of the president of Iran as a result of defective aircraft… In fact, this time it was a helicopter and all that. We shouldn’t ever dream and allow such. It wouldn’t be.”

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence recently discussed a plan to purchase new aircraft for the president and vice president.

Also, its counterpart in the Senate said it would back the move.