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.

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 Moreover, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank had withdrawn most aid in response to the purchase in 2009 of a presidential jet by Banda’s predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, and his abandonment of an IMF-dictated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.

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.

Edified: Officials of the State Security Service, Niger State command, has apprehended 18 lecturers of the Niger State College of Education for alleged admission racketeering.

The provost of the institution, Professor Faruk Lawal who declined to speak on camera, told Channels Television that the syndicate was discovered when the school authority on suspicion of a foul play in the admission process decided to change the institution’s admission process.

He maintained that the lecturers who had been involved in the practice for more than 10 years were collecting money, ranging from fifty thousand to hundred thousand naira to admit students who did not have the Senior Secondary Certificate (S.S.C.E).

Professor Lawal disclosed that over 1000 students were affected, adding that investigation into the racket was on-going with a view to unmasking other members of the syndicate.

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/03/25/18-lecturers-nabbed-by-sss-for-admission-racketeering/

Another Faruk Why is he scared of showing his face na?

onatisi:
pls pls pls ,always try to read ,verify before digesting stories,and dont let us prove el rufai right when he said nigerian youths are lazy mentally,obj farm car was impounded in lagos ,atttempts were made to recover them back whic was rebuffed for whatever reason ,now baba has taken laws into his hands,now i have 2 questions for you ,if it was tinubu car that was caught by lastma wouldnt it have been released immidiately?u are talking about respect dont you think that obj vehicle should have been released based on his status in the society?this is a political move by the acn in lagos to ridicule obj and baba isnt taking it lightly

PointB:

What indication do you have from the article that Fashola supports regionalism as you put it? Fashola doesn't appear to suppport anything other than his simplistic call for attitudinal changes.

Somehow I think Fashola is being hypocritical here. How many laws has he enacted in Lagos state this year alone - many targeting Okadas riders, drivers, agberoes and others. Why did he preach the gospel of attitudinal changes to them. Recently, Fashola muted the idea of enacting a law that forces Lagos residents to change their 'foreign' car plate number to that of Lagos. My point again is, are those laws really needed? Why not suggest change in behavior in a subtle way as he is suggesting now?

If he sincere believe amendment of laws, or new laws are need to fix his state, why can't same apply at the national level. There is something very wrong with Fashola's posture. Simple.