Representatives will form a technical group to examine the malfunctioning presidential airplane

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has decided to form a technical committee to investigate the frequent malfunctions of the presidential aircraft.

On Monday, May 20, 2024, the committee met behind closed doors with the commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Vice Marshal Olayinka Olusola, at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to discuss the circumstances surrounding the recent use of a chartered plane by President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Recall that in April, the President flew a rented plane from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum.

A fortnight ago, recall Vice President Shettima abandoned his trip to the United States to represent President Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit due to a defective airplane.

Debating a motion of urgent public importance brought to the floor of the House by the Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmad Satomi, the lawmakers resolved to invite the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Commander of the Presidential Fleet to explain the faulty breakdown of planes in the presidential fleet despite the large allocation in the annual budgets to maintain them.

During the debate, House Minority Whip Isa urged the President and Vice President to consider traveling by road to determine the true state of road infrastructure around the country.

Briefing journalists after the executive session, Satomi stated that a technical committee will be formed to work with officials from the presidential air fleet to develop a resolution.

“The committee has engaged the commandant of the presidential air fleet, the NSA and a lot has been discussed. It is a very sensitive national security issue that has to do with our President. And looking at our role in the foreign policy position of Nigeria, this is not something that we will come out publicly and discuss. Nevertheless, a lot has been explained.

“The committee resolved to set up a small technical committee to interface with the NSA, commandant, and all the stakeholders within a short period to come up with a final resolution that will foster the best for Nigeria, our President and the entire team of the presidential air fleet.

“So, I think for now the technical team will engage all the stakeholders in the presidential air fleet who have something to say. At the end, we will come up with a final resolution. But for now, we have not taken the decision. But we must have something that will represent Nigeria as a country.”

Responding to whether the planes need to be fixed or replaced outrightly, the lawmaker said, “For now, we have not resolved on that. The entire presidential air fleet is okay for now. It is not the issue of either to repair or to think of getting new ones. All that we know is that as a country, our position in global policy — we need something that will represent our image because our pride will show how Nigeria is.

“So, we are yet to conclude or finalise but they have explained enough. Some of the incidents are just media propaganda. It is not what we expected or what we thought happened. It is something different.”