The heat over the purchase of a new presidential jet seemed to be rekindled as new details have emerged. The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has revealed that nobody approached the National Assembly with a request for a new presidential jet before the purchase was eventually made
A new Airbus A330 was acquired for President Bola Tinubu was unveiled by the Presidency in August.
Nigerians thought the president prioritized his luxury while ignoring the economic hardship of the majority, which led to a lot of criticism of the presidency after the new plane purchase.
In one of his answers, presidential spokeswoman Bayo Onanuga stated that the aircraft that was bought was a “refurbished jet” rather than a brand-new one as had been claimed.
National Assembly members were not spared in the criticisms regarding the jet purchase, as many labelled them as rubber stamp easy approval of the Presidency’s request to purchase a new jet.
However, Senator Abaribe, who made a television appearance recently, reiterated that such a request was never brought to the National Assembly.
“I am in the national assembly, but I can tell you for a fact that nobody, quote me, nobody brought anything to the national assembly to say please approve this for the purchase of a new plane,” Abaribe said on the program.
“It was done without my knowledge; nobody brought anything. I never saw any document, and I have always been in the national assembly. Ask anyone, none.”
He, however, pointed fingers at the Presidency for refusing the legislative arm to perform its constitutional duty, which includes checking the spendings of the executive arm.
The senator expressed concern that the public views the members of the National Assembly as rubber-stamped, pointing out that this is the case because parliamentarians believe they have fought hard but not achieved much, and they have attempted to work with the government.
