A former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi has described Nigeria’s newly acquired presidential jet is a major symbol of national sovereignty and state power.
Mr. Peter Obi made this remark in the wake of the arrival of the newly acquired presidential jet into Nigeria, which was unveiled to the public as President Tinubu embarked on a private visit to France.
In a post on his X handle, Mr. Peter Obi said, “from all indications, despite all the denials, and back and forth over the newly acquired Presidential aircraft, the jet is now here thanks to the French court that helped Nigerians to get the information.”
“Now that the Jet is here, can Nigerian taxpayers whose money was used to purchase it need to be privy to how much it cost and how old the aircraft is and how long its been in operation.
“In addition, Nigerians also deserve to know about how the old jets being disposed, how many of them, how old they are, and why they are being sold. Transparency and Accountability should be the hallmark of any genuine leadership.
“The government will lose nothing but respect, if it fails to provide adequate information about its leadership to the people whose money is being deployed and whose mandate the President is holding.
“A presidential jet is a major symbol of national sovereignty and state power. How much it costs to transport the president, is a major issue of public accountability. I hope that Nigerians will not be denied the right of full disclosure on the new presidential jet”, the Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate stated.
The Airbus A330 was initially seized alongside two other jets belonging to Nigeria by a Chinese firm in a dispute with Ogun State government on the order of a French court. Following diplomatic engagements however, the Airbus A330 was released to enable the president travel with it.