Obi criticizes proposal for new presidential aircraft amid economic hardship

By Innocent Raphael

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has voiced strong opposition to the recent proposal for purchasing new presidential aircraft.

This recommendation, put forth by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, calls for new planes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

The committee’s suggestion emerged from a report following an investigation into the current status and airworthiness of the aircraft in the presidential air fleet.

The investigation was initiated in May when the House of Representatives directed the committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the fleet.

This issue gained prominence when Vice-President Shettima canceled a trip to the United States due to a fault in his aircraft. He was scheduled to represent President Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit.

Reacting to the proposal, Obi criticized the decision in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting it as evidence of a disconnect between the government and the people’s needs.

He pointed out the ongoing struggles with rising insecurity, poverty, hunger, and homelessness in Nigeria.

“With rising insecurity, poverty, hunger, and homelessness, this decision highlights the disconnect between the government and the people,” Obi stated. “It is unacceptable and demands a more compassionate use of resources, prioritizing citizens’ welfare.”

Obi noted that the average age of the presidential jets is 12 years and were purchased when Nigerians were better able to afford basic necessities.

Given the current economic challenges and high national debt, he argued that the focus should be on alleviating citizens’ suffering rather than adding to governmental luxuries.

He also criticized the construction of a N21 billion official residence for Vice-President Shettima, emphasizing the disparity between Nigeria’s expenditure and that of wealthier nations. Obi compared Nigeria’s situation to that of the United States, where the Vice-President resides in a much older, less costly residence despite the country’s vastly larger economy.

“To elucidate further, despite dropping down to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $252 billion and a per capita income of $1,080, with huge debt burdens and borrowing to service debts, yet we are spending $15 million for our Vice President’s residence, while the USA, the world’s largest economy with a GDP of $25 trillion, about 100 times our GDP, and a per capita income of $80,000, about 80 times ours, still houses their Vice President in Number 1 Observatory Circle, a house built over 100 years ago and whose value is obviously less than the $15 million we are spending on our VP’s residence,” he remarked.

Obi concluded by calling for an end to what he described as governmental recklessness, urging the political class to prioritize the needs of the people.

“It’s, therefore, time to stop this impunity, insensitivity, and shamelessness and refocus on the needs of our people. We must prioritize education, healthcare, and lifting our citizens out of poverty,” he added.

He called on all stakeholders to work together to build a nation that serves its people, emphasizing that the creation of a new Nigeria is more possible than ever before.

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