By John Ogunsemore
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has asked the Federal Government to reveal the cost, age and other pertinent details about the new presidential aircraft.
Obi said this in a statement shared on X on Tuesday.
Recall that the presidency unveiled the new Airbus A330 purchased for President Bola Tinubu on Monday.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga released pictures of the presidential jet via his verified X handle.
He disclosed that the new jet replaces the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 (BBJ) bought during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In Tuesday’s statement, Obi said Nigerians deserved full transparency from the presidency on the purchase of the aircraft.
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 it’s 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.”