09:41 10/09/2016
Abuja - The Federal Government has reportedly spent N5 billion on the 10-aircraft Presidential fleet over the past 15 months, this despite a recession that has left many Nigerians starving.
According to a Punch report, the Presidency spent the money on personnel costs, overhead expenditures and aircraft maintenance, with a sum of N500 million being used to refund the NSA for financial support in maintaining the fleet prior to the release of the funds.
Aviation experts have warned President Muhammadu Buhari to reduce the size of the fleet due to rising costs dictated by the depreciation of the naira.
Also read: Buhari to address issue of looted funds to UN
“It is high time the Presidency reduced the number of aircraft in that fleet. We can’t be spending our scarce forex to maintain a large fleet of 10 aircraft,” a source stated.
Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, has since denied a directive issued by President Buhari ordering the immediate disposal of some of the aircraft within the fleet.
“The story of the order for the sale of aircraft in the Presidential Fleet, about which so much interest is being expressed, is not known to us,” Shehu had said.
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