Reduce Presidential Air Fleet by Capt. Daniel Omale

Nigeria’s Presidency has the second largest number of aircraft in its fleet in the world. In the first position is Russia, with about 40 aircraft, followed by Nigeria –15 aircraft.

Russia can be forgiven for such large number of airplanes designated for its political leaders because all the aircraft in the fleet are produced and maintained by the state-owned aircraft manufacturing company. In Nigeria, the 15 aircraft are imported, and maintained abroad.

It is virtually inconceivable to note that the Presidential air fleet (PAF) is also the second largest fleet in Nigeria, after Arik Air with 26 airplanes. The combined number of fixed wing airplanes, operated by the five schedule airlines in the country is less than the number of aircraft in the Presidency.

Even the oil rich Saudi Arabia has far less number of airplanes in its kingdom, for its leader than Nigeria. The United States, Germany, France and other developed nations have less than five designated aircraft each for their Presidents. The Prime minister of the United Kingdom does not have a fleet aircraft for his use. The Norwegian Prime Minister came to Nigeria about two weeks ago on a British Airways flight. The French President, François Hollande, rendered public apology to his nation for using the Presidential aircraft with his children for a trip to watch football game in Germany. This public accountability in western world is unprecedented in our country.

Two weeks ago, the news that President Mohammed Buhari (PMB) had ordered the reduction of the number of the aircraft in the President’s fleet was greeted with relief and enthusiasm. For some unknown reason, there seems to be a lag in the decision, forgetting that for each day that this nation is saddled with these airplanes, millions of Naira will go down the drain, into private pockets.

Nigeria has a culture of wasting public resources. It is an absolute waste that the last administration of President Jonathan Goodluck spent about N30 billion ($140m) to buy three aircraft (two Falcon 7Xs, and a G550).

The monthly expenditure on the aircraft in the Presidency is about N1billion. This gigantic waste is not only expensive for a country drained and raped by its public officers, but absolutely unnecessary.

What is the rationale for the large number of aircraft for the President? Who are direct beneficiaries of these unrealistic expenses? Despite the 15 aircraft in the Presidency, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), in the past two years, spent over N10 billion leasing an airplane from an Austrian company, Vista jet, for the minister of Petroleum, Mrs Dezeani Alison-Madueke.

Three years ago, the National Emergency Management Agency( NEMA), in the name of medical evacuation, bought a Cessna Sovereign for over $8m (about N2 billion). The airplane has, instead, been used for executive movements and charter services. It would have been easier if any rational person in the past government ever thought of transferring one of the many airplanes in PAF to NEMA. But, obviously, those acquiring airplanes for NEMA would have lost huge commissions from the purchase deal.

Under President Ibrahim Babangida, the air border patrol fleet was established. Over $100m (N220 billion in today’s exchange rate) was spent on the project. The maintenance cost for the six Dornier 228 airplanes have exceeded money paid for the acquisition. And to put it mildly, today, none of the airplanes is serviceable and useful for the purposed they were bought. In an unexplainable circumstance, the surveillance function of the fleet was never executed, as more and more foreigners crossed our borders into the country on daily basis, giving rise to Boko Haram terror group.

The Nigerian Police Force on the other hand acquired 12 helicopters in the past four years, supplied by a company belonging to a top official in Jonathan’s administration. While the acquisition and the inflated prices do not counter the necessity for such aircraft, it has become another form of serial wastes in the system; there is only one qualified pilot/captain for the 12 helicopters. The aircraft are permanently hangered at Nnamdi Azikiwe airport, Abuja.

The Nigerian Customs Services bought a Cessna CJ3 two years ago, again, for executive movement. A transfer of an aircraft from PAF to the Nigerian Customs Services would have saved the N1.6 billion wasted to acquire the Cessna.

While our politicians and public officers see very little of the financial damage inflicted on the economy as a result of these senseless spending, the resultant effect, today, is the negative state of Nigeria’s treasury.

How do we rationalise the huge expenditure on aircraft for the President? What is today’s residual value of each of those airplanes, compared to the purchase price?

One fundamental truth about aircraft is that whether it is being flown or simply parked, it attracts huge expenses. Keeping such a large number of aircrafts is as wasteful as throwing money into the ocean. Nigeria’s President does not need more than two serviceable aircrafts for routine and scheduled national assignments.

But in all reality, it’s still questionable to investigate the core reason for regular acquisition of airplanes for the President of Nigeria. Former President Obasanjo bought a Boeing Business jet for $60m (N12 billion Naira), Yar’Adua and Jonathan’s administration placed an order for the three newest aircraft in the fleet, but paid and delivered in Jonathan’s tenure. The immediate past government acquired the two helicopters for the Presidency; NEMA’s aircraft (fixed wing and helicopters) were bought during the same regime, along with the Customs’ Cessna CJ3.

The colossal wastes of public funds associated with aircraft purchases for the various government agencies, aircraft that were never utilised beat my sense of reasoning.

Nigeria must wake up to reality that establishing a responsible government requires strict financial discipline and accountability.

There is no justification for the large number of aircraft in the Presidential air fleet, which gulps over N12 billion annually. Other government agencies must also be pruned to the realisation that time for wasting public funds is over, but it must start with the presidential Air Fleet.