The Presidency has come up with an explanation as to why the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001, has remained in London where President Muhammadu Buhari i
The Presidency has come up with an explanation as to why the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001, has remained in London where President Muhammadu Buhari is currently receiving medical attention. According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, it is borne out protocol, national security, diplomacy and prestige.
Shehu who was reacting to recent reports on the social media over an outrageous fee allegedly being paid for parking the aircraft in London since May 10 when Buhari embarked on his second medical vacation for the year.
“The Presidency is constrained to decry criticisms, mostly on social media, on the retention in London of the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001 as mostly informed by lack of understanding of protocol around foreign trips by Heads of State all over the world.
The report which emanated from the twitter handle of BBC Africa news not only revealed that the presidential jet has been sitting idle in London with Buhari since his return to the country in May for medical treatment, but that it was raking up four thousand pounds in parking fees daily. As at yesterday morning which made it its 50th day and with the going rate of 400 naira to a pound, the parking fees has skyrocketed to 80,000,000 naira.
“It is important to state that for reasons of protocol, national security, diplomacy and prestige, there is no world leader who travels abroad and is left without plans for immediate return or possible evacuation. From operational point of view, this country’s Armed Forces as represented by the Nigeria Air Force are not to abandon their Commander-In-Chief in whichever circumstance he is. This is a standard operating procedure.”
The presidential spokesman also debunked the parking fees being reported, saying presidential aircraft enjoy waivers worldwide. He added that where a waiver is not granted, such fees do not exceed £1,000.
“We have been assured that where the waiver is not granted, payment will not exceed £1,000, which is a quarter of the amount being peddled. For the avoidance of doubt, this President is not the first to have a presidential aircraft standing by for him, as he will certainly not be the last.
“All past Heads of this country have had this privilege, and the part that surprises the most is that leaders who in the past travelled with three Nigerian aircraft did not suffer this trenchant criticism. We appeal to Nigerians to ignore opposition campaign aimed at derailing this administration’s big plans for the country. This is a government that is constructing the Second Niger Bridge, the Mambila Power Plant, the East-West and the North-South standard gauge railway lines.
“We are a government that has saved this country an annual loss of two trillion Naira from fraudulent petroleum subsidy schemes by influential citizens and their children and rid the public service of about 50,000 ghost workers. The Buhari administration certainly deserves a chance.”
