Shadow of presidential aircraft hangs over NASS emergency sitting today

• Sources: Cost of new jet will be included in 2024 supplementary budget
• Sitting to consider wide range of issues, spokesman insists
• Group voices concern over non-availability of official presidential aircraft

The National Assembly cut short its Sallah break to hold emergency sessions today. However, not everyone seems convinced about the officially disclosed reasons behind the hasty resumption.

While it’s been stated that the resumption is solely to give lawmakers room to extend the implementation period for the capital component of N21.83 trillion 2023 budget and those of the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget, sources maintained it’s an opportunity to slip the cost of a new presidential jet into the 2024 supplementary budget.  

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had, on Tuesday, refuted reports that the chamber approved the purchase of new presidential jets.

He described as malicious, a report quoting him to have said 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 House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had recommended the purchase of new aircraft for the president and the vice president, as the existing had become faulty and unsafe.

The presidency has reportedly put up three presidential jets for sale.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers had extended the implementation period of the capital component of the budget for the fiscal year from December 31, 2023 to March 31, 2024, along with the N2.17 trillion 2023 Supplementary budget they passed in November 2023.

On the strength of requests made by President Bola Tinubu, both chambers had, on March 19 and 20, 2024, extended the implementation period for the budgetary appropriations from March 31, 2024 to June 30, 2024.  

With few days to June 30, 2024, which has been fixed as end of implementation period for the affected 2023 budgetary appropriations, the two chambers scheduled today for separate sessions, where further extensions would be made, ahead of their earlier resumption date fixed for July 2, 2024.

Confirming the emergency session in a telephone conversation with journalists, yesterday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said the session would be mainly on budgetary appropriation.

Asked whether an extension of the implementation period for the capital component of the 2023 budget was in the offing, he indicated that various issues requiring urgent legislative attention would be deliberated upon.

He said: “The Senate shall be dwelling on a wide range of issues at its plenary on Thursday (today), particularly those on budgetary appropriations vis-a-vis legislative compliance. Bills on the 2024 Supplementary Appropriation and New National Minimum Wage are out of it, since they are yet to be forwarded for consideration and passage by President Bola Tinubu.”

He added that today’s hastily convened session is in line with Senate’s constitutional power to regulate its sessions, which according to him, would make it deal with national and constitutional issues earlier than hitherto scheduled.

Some other senators who were contacted, hinted that requests for further extension of implementation period for the capital component of the N21.83 trillion 2023 budget and N2.17 trillion supplementary budget for the fiscal year may have been forwarded by President Tinubu to both chambers of the National Assembly.

Today’s session at the Senate is expected to consider, among others, issues of declining quality of oversight function by which parliaments exercise checks on the performance of the executive arm of government.

The Guardian had exclusively reported that no fewer than 270 laws enacted to remedy key ailments in the nation’s economy since 1999 have suffered frustration and sabotage because of the failure of the National Assembly to carry out strict parliamentary oversight functions.

Ironically, the nation’s apex lawmaking organ has expended not less that N3 trillion on its operations in the last 14 years.

Sources at the National Assembly also hinted that the sitting would provide an opportunity for the Senate to receive and begin consideration of the 2024 supplementary budget proposal from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.  

The President had informed the leadership of the National Assembly last month that he would submit a supplementary budget for the consideration of lawmakers.

During his brief appearance at the joint session of the National Assembly in May, 2024, the President said: “I submitted the last budget to you. You expeditiously passed it. We are walking the talk. I will soon bring the Year 2024 (Supplementary) Appropriation Bill. That is just for your information.”

In his response, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had said: “Thank you, Mr President. We will be expecting the Supplementary Appropriation Bill of 2024 as soon as possible.”

ACCORDING to a source at the National Assembly, only the cost of one presidential jet would be included in the supplementary budget.

In April, President Tinubu had resorted to a commercial aircraft on his way to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh after the one he travelled with to The Netherlands developed a fault.

Around the same time, Vice President Kashim Shettima was seen arriving in Ogun State in a chartered aircraft. The vice president would later abort his trip to the U.S. mid-air after the aircraft transporting him developed an engine fault.
 
On the heels of these developments, it was reported that the federal government had put three ageing presidential jets up for sale.

The current fleet, maintained by the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF), an arm of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), include Boeing 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream GV, two Falcon 7x and one Challenger CL605.

Recall that two committees of the National Assembly recommended that two aircraft be bought for the use of the president and vice-president.

In early June, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said the supplementary budget would be funded with the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).

The fund is currently domiciled in the National Sovereign Wealth Investment Authority (NSWIA).

The spending bill would also provide funding for the Lagos-Calabar coastal road and rail projects across the country.

THIS came as a civil society organisation, Centre for Good Governance and Probity, has expressed concern over reports that President Bola Tinubu had been travelling in chartered plane rather than presidential aircraft for official engagements. 

The group, in a statement signed by National Coordinator, Gabriel Uwosu, yesterday, said it is a disgrace to Nigeria’s image in the comity of nations that her president attends state functions within and outside the country in chartered aircraft.

It expressed worry about the security implications of the president’s lack of an official aircraft. It said it is laughable that Nigeria, as rich as it is, has moribund planes in the presidential fleet.

“While we understand the need for flexibility and security considerations, the use of a chartered plane raises significant questions about national security and the integrity of the presidency. The presidential aircraft is a symbol of the Nigerian state, designed with advanced security features to protect the head of state. Its use is crucial for ensuring the safety and security of the president during both domestic and international travel.

“By relying on a chartered plane, there are concerns that critical security protocols and procedures may be compromised. This could leave the president vulnerable and expose sensitive information about his movements and activities. 

“Additionally, the optics of the president not using official state aircraft sends the wrong message to both citizens and the international community about the seriousness of the office.

“We call on those concerned to take immediate action to rectify the situation. Nigerians deserve to have confidence that their president is being protected with the utmost care and that the dignity of the office is being upheld.”