I really don't understand Nigerians. What is worth discussing about a topic that is one of the worst demonstration of the excesses, sheer wickedness and inhumanity of Nigerian leaders in comparison to their peers worldwide? Talking about the PAF with anything but outright condemnation is truly perverse.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17147:budget-2011-presidency-to-spend-n18bn-on-fleet&catid=76:hot-topic&Itemid=564

Budget 2011: Presidency to spend N18bn on fleet

THURSDAY, 06 JANUARY 2011 00:00 ANTHONY OSAE-BROWN E-mail Print PDF

•Enough to provide accommodation for 17m Nigerians

Following plans by the Presidency to spend N18 billion from this year’s budget on the maintenance of presidential planes in its fleet, financial and real estate experts have disclosed that the amount is only N1 billion higher than what could provide decent accommodation for the 17 million UN-Habitat estimated un-housed Nigerians.

Figures obtained by BusinessDay has shown that the allocation for the presidential fleet comes under the allocation to ‘Intelligence Community’ which got a total budget allocation of N105 billion, ranking it as one of the top ten allocations in the 2011 budget.

The amount of money the Presidency plans to spend on its presidential fleet of planes which carries it in comfort around the world is about N1 billion higher than the N16 billion with which government plans to confront the housing deficit of over 17 million Nigerians.

The N18 billion on the presidential fleet is also N7 billion higher than the N11 billion the government intends to spend equipping the country’s police force in 2011, and just about N2 billion less than it intends to spend on the nation’s aviation sector.

Financial analysts have also calculated that the N18 billion, if deployed to the epileptic power supply the country is currently grappling with, could provide 120 megawatts of electricity which is enough to light up Asaba, Delta State capital.


It will be recalled that in August 2010, the minister of Information at the time, Dora Akunyili had, at the end of a Federal Executive Council meeting, announced the acquisition of three additional presidential jets for the Nigerian presidential fleet at the cost of N23.1 billion.

The addition was to complement the eight existing aircraft that were already in the fleet.

Nigeria’s presidential fleet, which is one of the largest in the world, is made up of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) bought in 2006 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Gulfstream V, a Gulfstream IVSP, and two Falcon 900s.

It is not clear, though, if the N18 billion allocation to the Presidential fleet in 2011 is purely for maintenance, buying an additional airplane or for both; but a source in the Presidency last night told BusinessDay that there was no plan to buy new planes for the Presidency this year.

In the 2010 proposal, the Presidency had actually proposed the acquisition of four new aircraft for the presidential fleet and had made a budget provision of N23.4 billion in that budget for them.

Akunyili had said then that “the committee set up for the acquisition of the aircraft was able to get a reduction of the sum of $2.9 million from the proposed price of two Falcon 7X aircraft and a reduction of the sum of $5.4 million from the offer of the Gulfstream G550 aircraft.”

She had also explained that “the first Falcon aircraft being purchased will be delivered by the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 while the second Falcon and Gulfstream G550 will be delivered by the end of the second quarter 2011.”

BusinessDay investigations show that Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world with a dedicated presidential fleet. Most countries prefer to convert aircraft used by their national carriers for use by their Presidency crew whenever the President is going on international trips. At other times, such world leaders could use an aircraft managed by the country’s Air Force for local trips.

For example, international trips of the Chinese President are managed by the government-owned national carrier - Air China, while domestic travels are operated by the 34th division of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

For the British monarch and other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other ministers of the British Government, air transport is provided by either No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF), chartered civilian aircraft or scheduled commercial flights - normally British Airways - for senior members of the royal family, and other commercial carriers for the Prime Minister and aides.

Aside Nigeria, the United States of America is another country that maintains a dedicated fleet of aircraft for its presidency.

With Nigeria’s Presidential fleet parading 11 different planes, BusinessDay analysis shows that the cumulative spend of N41 billion on the presidential fleet in two years would be enough to buy five Boeing 737-600 planes; large enough to start a national carrier for the nation. The average cost of a Boeing 737-600 is N8.5 billion (based on figures obtained from Boeing website). An analyst familiar with workings at airports told BusinessDay that “a national or flag carrier like Air Nigeria can be safely and profitably operated with five aircraft.”

The Federal Government sold Nigeria Airways - the nation’s national carrier - because it could not run it profitably.

The offices under ‘Intelligence Community’ which allocation of N105 billion ranks among the top ten allocations in the 2011 budget include: Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Directorate of State Security Service (SSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Presidential Air Fleet.

A breakdown of the allocations to the various units shows that the Office of the NSA plans to spend N37 billion in 2011; the SSS will spend N24 billion, while the NIA is planning to spend N26 billion.

CFCfan: THE PRESIDENTIAL AIR FLEET UNDER SANI ABACHA

-In January 1996, the Abacha government decided that the military EAG and the civilian PF crew be merged together and be under a single command. That was how the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) came into existence, and under Abacha as at that time, the number of aircraft in the fleet stood at 11. Extra inclusions to the staff of the PAF were civil servants from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) who were to assist with the activities relating to administration and finances.

-Under General Sani Abacha, aircraft in the PAF were not able to go regularly for routine maintenance overseas because of his running battle with the international community. That might have contributed to Abacha rarely leaving the country. Later, when Abacha died suddenly in 1998, his widow, Maryam, was in tears as she climbed the stairs of the presidential jet for the last time. Onboard were her kids and the stiff body of her late husband. The same scene replayed itself in May 2010 when President Yar’adua gave up the ghost.

There were also some times when pilots of the PAF were used for acts that can be described as less than charitable. According to Christiana ‘Chris’ Ngozi Anyanwu, now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as a journalist, went through hell under Abacha, she stated in her book, The Years of Terror: A Journalist’s Eye-witness Account of Nigeria in the Hands of its Worst Tyrant that Abacha went to any length to silence his opponents, even if that meant staining the prestige of the Presidential Air Fleet. She wrote of Shehu Yar’adua’s imprisonment: ‘…according to the account of the two eye-witnesses, on the day he was transferred from Port Harcourt prison to Enugu, a pilot in the presidential air fleet flew in the killer squad to Port Harcourt. They took Yar’adua out of his prison cell, under the guise of transfer to Enugu prison. There was a detour on the way. The prisoner was suspicious when Dr. Yakassai reportedly tried to inject him forcefully. He resisted. There was a scuffle. The killer squad reportedly overpowered him, held his hand behind…” It will also interest you to know that a month after a pilot of the PAF (Luther mentioned above) attended Anyanwu’s party, he was arrested by the IBB junta for coup plotting.

I think there is some inconsistency here... The pilot was in Abacha's PAF detail and was arrested for coup plotting against IBB? How? IBB came before Abacha and Shehu Yar'adua was arrested during Abacha's tenure... Pls clarify

Thanks for the lecture OP....although I think our politicians are very wasteful.

I was hoping to see pics not comprehension that I'm reading.. wen will I finish reading this?

Symphony007: What a bloody waste. Who are you impressing abroad with all this nonesense when they a majority of your people are poor. Say alot about our disfuctional nation when our president owns a multitude of aircraft, meanwhile when tony blair wanted to buy a boeing for him and the queen to use for international travels, parliament struck it down saying they can't afford it. Wastefull nation!

The person that wrote this rubbish must be a childish stupid

Gbawe: I really don't understand Nigerians. What is worth discussing about a topic that is one of the worst demonstration of the excesses, sheer wickedness and inhumanity of Nigerian leaders in comparison to their peers worldwide? Talking about the PAF with anything but outright condemnation is truly perverse.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17147:budget-2011-presidency-to-spend-n18bn-on-fleet&catid=76:hot-topic&Itemid=564

I completely agree with you. This topic should be thrown in the bin and there's absolutely nothing to celebrate. The country has some of the worst airports in Africa, no national airliner, and the Nigerian airforce's inventory has to be one of the worst in Africa. Yet we're talking about the presidential air fleet when those who have ruled naija from independence are some of the worst of ever walk this planet. smh

They need to sell all those darn planes and at least use the funds to buy 4th generation fighter jets for the Nigerian airforce, if aircrafts are the only things they care about, to be honest.

ballabriggs: You all can see how evil IBB threw professionalism to the winds and manipulated Nigerian Airways for his own selfish needs. Sadly it is the same issue plaguing most organisations in Nigeria. Leadership!

If I tell you what this man did you will not believe it. He single handedly ruined the military. Some of its core institutions are permanently damaged and most of its core professionals he either murdered or sacrificed. Let's not even talk about Military Intelligence. He was very, very bad.

Symphony007: What a bloody waste. Who are you impressing abroad with all this nonesense when they a majority of your people are poor. Say alot about our disfuctional nation when our president owns a multitude of aircraft, meanwhile when tony blair wanted to buy a boeing for him and the queen to use for international travels, parliament struck it down saying they can't afford it. Wastefull nation!

The person that wrote this rubbish must be a childish stupid idiot can imagine how many hospitals the money to maintain these flights would have built and put drug. CComplete waste of research how about this guy researching on a proper life changing research. Now we know that we have 10 planes what should we do about it.

Symphony OO7 waste full nation clueless researcher imagine if this idiot had spend is time on a proper research we all care about.

Irrespective of what we think individually, the safety of the President of Nigeria is paramount, I suggest that the Presidential Fleet should always have the best of nextgen Aircraft fortified with missile defense system.

I do not care who is President at any point in time, but Presidents work too hard and need the very best care that we can afford, loss of any President brings rounds of turmoil on uncertainties, and we do not want that. Do we ?

shymexx:

I completely agree with you. This topic should be thrown in the bin and there's absolutely nothing to celebrate. The country has some of the worst airports in Africa, no national airliner, and the Nigerian airforce's inventory has to be one of the worst in Africa. Yet we're talking about the presidential air fleet when those who have ruled naija from independence are some of the worst of ever walk this planet. smh

They need to sell all those darn planes and at least use the funds to buy 4th generation fighter jets for the Nigerian airforce, if aircrafts are the only things they care about, to be honest.

Shymexx, I love you like a friend, but I am here to tell you the truth. People can only see what they want to see, if you chose not to see the good but the bad, you will always see the errors.

Permit me to also add that people always see their realities in other people, events and places. What I mean is, a poor man sees poverty even when there is glaring wealth all over the place. Nigeria has progressed and we are witnessing monumental changes, cos we chose to see it.

I believe you see so much evil and bad things about anything Nigeria because it is your reality. Some of us see challenges as opportunities for problem solving which means potential for cash. Rubbish Nigeria for all you can, you CAN NOT alter your Nigerian DNA. You are part of the mess for ever except you chose to work to improve instead of blaming the world for woes.

Shymmex, is it that bad over there, why not come here and join me in business lets work for change instead of attacks and image smearing of your country.

Billyonaire: Irrespective of what we think individually, the safety of the President of Nigeria is paramount, I suggest that the Presidential Fleet should always have the best of nextgen Aircraft fortified with missile defense system.

I do not care who is President at any point in time, but Presidents work too hard and need the very best care that we can afford, loss of any President brings rounds of turmoil on uncertainties, and we do not want that. Do we ?

the british prime minister and the president of nigeria, who needs more security? But the british prime minister has no plane. He hires british airway for he and his staff to travel.

Symphony007: the british prime minister and the president of nigeria, who needs more security? But the british prime minister has no plane. He hires british airway for he and his staff to travel.

The British Prime minister is not a paradigm of what should be. What makes you rationalize the use of Britain as a yardstick to measure Nigeria ?

Use USA as a Yardstick, please give this comparison a break, because as far as I am concerned, our realities and destinies are different as a people. When you compare Nigeria to Britain, have you realized that you are comparing a father to a son ?

What happened in 1914 ? Do you remember that Britain was here ruling us from 1900 and Amalgamated us in 1914 and went ahead to rule us until 1960 ? You are comparing a baby to his grandfather ? Give me a break this Sunday morning young man. As a matter of fact, a Nigerian President needs more Security than a British "Prime Minister". Should be comparing Nigerian President to the Queen.

Sheer waste of resources for vanity....

This is not the type of thread worth celebrating.

Quite educating...

BabaAlabi: Are you saying that if I send one missile to the president's plane nothing will happen?

yes, that's what we are saying...

Billyonaire: Irrespective of what we think individually, the safety of the President of Nigeria is paramount, I suggest that the Presidential Fleet should always have the best of nextgen Aircraft fortified with missile defense system.

I do not care who is President at any point in time, but Presidents work too hard and need the very best care that we can afford, loss of any President brings rounds of turmoil on uncertainties, and we do not want that. Do we ?

Your foolishness is in a billion fold. So because the President needs safety billions of naira should be lavished all in the name of purchasing aircrafts. How many aircrafts can the President fly in in a particular time? Rubbish.
As if the planes purchased for him are not enough, he has helicopters in different regions that he usually use to shuttle the regions. Some of these helicopters belong to the NAF, meant for the training of their staff. For example the one that crashed in Bayelsa State was one of such.

shymexx:

I completely agree with you. This topic should be thrown in the bin and there's absolutely nothing to celebrate. The country has some of the worst airports in Africa, no national airliner, and the Nigerian airforce's inventory has to be one of the worst in Africa. Yet we're talking about the presidential air fleet when those who have ruled naija from independence are some of the worst of ever walk this planet. smh

They need to sell all those darn planes and at least use the funds to buy 4th generation fighter jets for the Nigerian airforce, if aircrafts are the only things they care about, to be honest.

ilugunboy: Sheer waste of resources for vanity....

This is not the type of thread worth celebrating.

This is a serious problem for Nigeria that many of us simply fail to acknowledge i.e the bastardized ethos that leads to the perverse celebration of what is wrong, retrogressive, inhuman, undesirably outdated and categorically rejected everywhere else. Very obvious that the evolution of Nigerian minds is needed to save Nigeria just as much as good leadership. When I read some things here, I have to wonder if Nigerians live in a perverse parallel Universe of lunacy, greed, criminality, fraud and evil.

B_B013: I was hoping to see pics not comprehension that I'm reading.. wen will I finish reading this?

when you finish secondary school...

Ola Johnson:
Your foolishness is in a billion fold. So because the President needs safety billions of naira should be lavished all in the name of purchasing aircrafts. How many aircrafts can the President fly in in a particular time? Rubbish.
As if the planes purchased for him are not enough, he has helicopters in different regions that he usually use to shuttle the regions. Some of these helicopters belong to the NAF, meant for the training of their staff. For example the one that crashed in Bayelsa State was one of such.

I know that most of you on this forum are not educated beyond Primary 6. So it might be difficult to evoke civility during a discourse.

As always, I want to educate you about debate. when discussing a topical issue. Focus on the thread and criticise constructively and not the personality.

I hope you pass that education to your class.

Nice post!informative

And can we say same of the Nigerian Air force wing not under the presidential air fleet?
Flying Chengu F-7's (which is already out of production in China) and Dornier/Dassault Alpha jets (which are glorified trainer jets?).

Let the government upgrade the air force then we can talk business.

Billyonaire:
Shymexx, I love you like a friend, but I am here to tell you the truth. People can only see what they want to see, if you chose not to see the good but the bad, you will always see the errors.

Permit me to also add that people always see their realities in other people, events and places. What I mean is, a poor man sees poverty even when there is glaring wealth all over the place. Nigeria has progressed and we are witnessing monumental changes, cos we chose to see it.

I believe you see so much evil and bad things about anything Nigeria because it is your reality. Some of us see challenges as opportunities for problem solving which means potential for cash. Rubbish Nigeria for all you can, you CAN NOT alter your Nigerian DNA. You are part of the mess for ever except you chose to work to improve instead of blaming the world for woes.

Shymmex, is it that bad over there, why not come here and join me in business lets work for change instead of attacks and image smearing of your country.

Brother, thanks for the message. Ok, let's just agree that Nigerian people are the source of their own misfortunes; the extreme poverty that they're reveling in; and the country has best infrastructures in the world. However, if the Nigerian president deserves one of the best air fleet in the world - don't you think the Nigerian air-force, that's in-charge of protecting the Nigerian airspace, also deserve the best? How about the airports?

Regardless, I don't critique Nigeria just for the sake of it. However, I abhor incompetence, greediness, and anything that's fake and superficial. My Nigerian DNA will always be there and I won't trade it for anything in the world. I'm proud of my Nigerian roots - so proud that I've got it tatted on my shoulder. However, patriotism to me means: asking questions and wanting the best for Nigeria. And I believe if Nigeria must attain its full potentials - we must question our leaders and their methods.

#Cfcfan na ur topics make frontpage pass. Abeg which soap u dey use bath, abi u get shares for nairaland ni

Billyonaire: The British Prime minister is not a paradigm of what should be. What makes you rationalize the use of Britain as a yardstick to measure Nigeria ?

Use USA as a Yardstick, please give this comparison a break, because as far as I am concerned, our realities and destinies are different as a people. When you compare Nigeria to Britain, have you realized that you are comparing a father to a son ?

What happened in 1914 ? Do you remember that Britain was here ruling us from 1900 and Amalgamated us in 1914 and went ahead to rule us until 1960 ? You are comparing a baby to his grandfather ? Give me a break this Sunday morning young man. As a matter of fact, a Nigerian President needs more Security than a British "Prime Minister". Should be comparing Nigerian President to the Queen.

with all due respect sir, you just said nothing. The fact remains that a fleet of jets is the least of nigeria's problems. The country has serious problems and we need every penny to solve them. Is'nt the son suppose to learn from the father to better himself? Britain is miles richer than nigeria but it says it can't afford the frivolity of a plane for their head of state and head of government. If i should'nt compare nigeria with britain then tell me another country, that spends so much on trivial things while a majority of it's citizens suffer, should i compare nigeria with north korea, or zimbabwe? Call out wrong when you see the:. Not everything is defensible.

Billyonaire: I know that most of you on this forum are not educated beyond Primary 6. So it might be difficult to evoke civility during a discourse.

As always, I want to educate you about debate. when discussing a topical issue. Focus on the thread and criticise constructively and not the personality.

I hope you pass that education to your class.

If taking sides with the President or wanting to be like 'Sincere' 9gerian is what you call constructive criticism then your case is a sorry one.

Symphony007: with all due respect sir, you just said nothing. The fact remains that a fleet of jets is the least of nigeria's problems. The country has serious problems and we need every penny to solve them. Is'nt the son suppose to learn from the father to better himself? Britain is miles richer than nigeria but it says it can't afford the frivolity of a plane for their head of state and head of government. If i should'nt compare nigeria with britain then tell me another country, that spends so much on trivial things while a majority of it's citizens suffer, should i compare nigeria with north korea, or zimbabwe? Call out wrong when you see the:. Not everything is defensible.

As simple as that. What is wrong with our President having one, or at most, two planes in his PAF? Are we uneducated not to appreciate the vast sum of money that will be available to plough elsewhere if our President is a responsible man ready to lead by example? There is no argument at all, whether flight frequency or volume of travellers, that justifies a PAF of even 2 planes let alone 10 for GEJ or any other Nigerian President.

President Kufour of Ghana is considerably capitalist in leaning and I was privileged to see Ghana flush with cash, precipitation an acquisition and property boom, during his reign. Yet even he sold of one of the two Planes he inherited in the Ghana PAF to leave one !!!! We should call a spade a spade. Apart from the issue of the vast cost of the fleet, there is the monumental yearly maintenance cost which the NASS must approve as part of the Nigeria budget. This is unacceptable for a very poor nation that , as you stated, has serious problems she needs every kobo to tackle. What we see now is the result of hosting 'accidental' Presidents devoted to crude greed than to ideas.

Symphony007: with all due respect sir, you just said nothing. The fact remains that a fleet of jets is the least of nigeria's problems. The country has serious problems and we need every penny to solve them. Is'nt the son suppose to learn from the father to better himself? Britain is miles richer than nigeria but it says it can't afford the frivolity of a plane for their head of state and head of government. If i should'nt compare nigeria with britain then tell me another country, that spends so much on trivial things while a majority of it's citizens suffer, should i compare nigeria with north korea, or zimbabwe? Call out wrong when you see the:. Not everything is defensible.

The purpose of this thread to my knowledge is expository, educative and historical. It is not to critique which President does what or not.

No country is without a problem, and I want to add that no country will EVER be without a problem, even the world power has shutdown.

The poor will always be amongst us and the poor will always blame the rich for their woes even though they spend greater of their times watching TV.

The President deserves a robust and secure fleet, not because we enjoy spending but because we need to protect the head cos without the head the body is but a madman.

Following... No comments for now

Billyonaire: The purpose of this thread to my knowledge is expository, educative and historical. It is not to critique which President does what or not.

No country is without a problem, and I want to add that no country will EVER be without a problem, even the world power has shutdown.

The poor will always be amongst us and the poor will always blame the rich for their woes even though they spend greater of their times watching TV.

The President deserves a robust and secure fleet, not because enjoy spending but because we need to protect the head cos without the head the body is but a madman.

I honestly don't think there's anything historical and educative about wasteful spending. And the only thing expository about it, is the fact that, Nigerian leaders - both past and present - are the scums of the earth. These people were selected and elected, either through the barrel of a gun or by elections, to serve the people - not themselves. So evidently if the people they are/were there to serve are in abject poverty, despite all the country's huge resources - then the head should know how to cut it coat according to its cloth.

Yes, the poor would always blame the rich - however, in a situation where the rich is culpable, then justice must be served and served cold.

shymexx:

I honestly don't think there's anything historical and educative about wasteful spending. And the only thing expository about it, is the fact that, Nigerian leaders - both past and present - are the scums of the earth. These people were selected and elected, either through the barrel of a gun or by elections, to serve the people - not themselves. So evidently if the people they are/were there to serve are in abject poverty, despite all the country's huge resources - then the head should know how to cut it coat according to its cloth.

Yes, the poor would always blame the rich - however, in a situation where the rich is culpable, then justice must be served and served cold.

Thank you. The question to ask is that will the availability of one of two planes, rather than 10 as is the case currently, means the President's ability to travel effectively will somehow be compromised? No !! Not at all !!! There is no difference between 1 and 10 plane if we are talking of the travel of the President and a few essential aides while all others fly commercially. The problem is that Nigerian Presidents will not give up the excesses o travelling with as many hangers on as possible while even sending a 'spare plane', as if Nigeria is an air taxi service, to pick up a President who had sold the sole one at her disposal for her people (see below).

Those, and nothing to do with the real needs of the President, are the sort of vaingloriously callous excesses that necessitate a ten plan fleet literally bleeding Nigeria dry. Now imagine such waste everywhere else and you gleen the sad reality of Nigeria and why she needs an immaterialistic and personally austere reformer heading the centre. The reality we see today is underpinned by the 'throwback' greed and inconsideration of Nigerian Presidents, one after the other, that sees them unwilling to compromise minimally and usher in a progressive order the leaders of the other nations have declared as a 'new' and pro-people reality going forward.

If malawi becomes a great nation tomorrow, with her average citizens far better off than their Nigerian peers, would you be surprised given the choice their current leader took and that our own president abides with?


http://www.punchng.com/editorial/nigerian-jet-for-malawian-president/

Nigerian jet for Malawian President

JULY 16, 2013 BY EDITORIAL BOARD



Malawi’s President, Joyce Banda

WHEN Nigeria dispatched a jet from its Presidential Air Fleet late last month to fetch Malawi’s President, Joyce Banda, to Abuja, it unwittingly drew attention to our government’s fiscal recklessness. It was lost on President Goodluck Jonathan that while Banda had sold her cash-strapped country’s only presidential jet to save costs, he has, in three years in office, expanded Nigeria’s executive fleet to 10 aircraft.

Neither the reality of over 60 per cent of the population living in poverty, nor the recent alarming revelation by the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that government’s revenue inflow had dwindled to a dangerous level, has persuaded Jonathan to pare down the size of the Presidential Air Fleet. Instead, it is projected to rise as provision has reportedly been made to purchase two additional helicopters to ensure the President, Vice-President, their families, and other top functionaries travel in luxury at public expense.

Banda was in Nigeria to deliver the keynote address at the Global Power Women Network Africa summit in Abuja at the invitation of Nigeria’s First Lady. To ease her trip to Nigeria’s capital, our generous government dispatched a jet to pick her from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, and return her home after the event. That is to be expected since Malawi lacks a presidential aircraft.

[b]Shortly after assuming the presidency in 2012, Banda had taken a critical look at her country’s economy. Almost 40 per cent of the national budget came from aid donors, while revenues from its major exports – tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar – were falling due to lower global demand and prices. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank had withdrawn most aid in response to the purchase in 2009 of a presidential jet by Banda’s predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, and his abandonment of an IMF-dictated adjustment programme. Other donors followed the World Bank/IMF lead.

Besides selling the presidential plane for $15 million, Banda also sold off a fleet of 35 Mercedes Benz limousines reserved for the president and the cabinet. She cut her own salary by 30 per cent, among other austerity measures. Her actions won praise around the world and convinced the IMF and other aid donors to return with credit and handouts to back the government’s ongoing painful structural adjustment programme.

But Nigerian leaders will not sacrifice their own comfort for anything. Even in a rich country like Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron and cabinet members took pay cuts in response to the global recession and the spending cuts that the government introduced. Here, our leaders are obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the mass of people who are poor, the lack of infrastructure, mass unemployment and dwindling revenues. Okonjo-Iweala’s warning that the government may run out of money to pay salaries by October in the face of massive oil theft and vandalism of pipelines that have sharply reduced oil production and revenues has not jolted officials. Neither the wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators are ready to give up their luxurious lifestyles.

But British leaders often take commercial flights and, occasionally, trains when travelling for state functions. Japan, with its Gross Domestic Product of $4.52 trillion and per capita income of $36,200, (at Purchasing Power Parity), has only two aircraft – Boeing 747 – 400 – for use of the prime minister and the emperor; the Netherlands, with GDP of $770.2 billion and PCI of $42,300, has two; the British Queen, Elizabeth II, and Cameron travel on chartered British Airways flights, despite their country’s $2.32 trillion GDP and PCI of $38,700; South Africa has just one presidential aircraft with its GDP of $678.6 billion and PCI of $11,300, though it expects another soon, while Malaysia has one, but has also ordered a second; but with its GDP of $492 billion and PCI of $16,900, like others cited, Malaysia is ahead of Nigeria with a GDP of $450.5 billion and PCI of $2,700.[/b]

Given these scenarios, it is high time we ended this absurdity. Today, the aviation sector is in dire straits. How does one explain that only two domestic airlines – Arik, with 23 planes, and Aero Contractors with 14 – have larger fleets than this one kept for a few at public expense? Over N9 billion is believed to be spent on the maintenance of the presidential fleet each year, while the PAF required 47 Nigerian Air Force officers, 173 airmen/airwomen and 96 civilian employees on full time call in 2012.

Nigerians, however, desperately need a government that exists to serve the people, not a few. Successive governments have demonstrated incompetence and abused and misused public funds. There should be minimum ethical standards and decorum in public office. Other developing nations like Ghana where a former president, John Kufuor, once disposed of a spare presidential aircraft, retaining only one, should shame us into prudent conduct.

Jonathan has no excuse to continue keeping 10 aircraft and our under-performing legislators have no reason to keep approving new purchases or the billions of naira they appropriate for their maintenance each year. But, ultimately, it is only when the electorate shakes off its lethargy and demands accountability and responsibility from public officials that things will change for the better

When I read the story and saw pictures of these fleet, I saw sheer waste and plunder.