Peter Obi Criticises FG Over Plans To Purchase New Presidential Jets

Former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party Presidential Candidate of the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has criticised the federal government over plans to purchase new aircraft to replace the old presidential jets.

Obi, in a post on his official X handle on Monday, described the move as “unacceptable and a clear show of insensitivity to the suffering of the Nigerian people.”

He said, “At a time when our country is on the front page of global newspapers for facing its worst economic crisis, marked by high inflation, a falling currency, and widespread poverty, the government is contemplating buying new presidential jets. This demonstrates extreme insensitivity to citizens’ struggles.”

He added that with the rising insecurity, poverty, hunger, and homelessness, such a decision highlights the disconnect that is apparent between the government and the people.

“It’s on record that our presidential jets have an average age of 12 years, purchased when most Nigerians could afford necessities. Now, as our country faces significant challenges, including a high debt profile, our citizens are in even greater need.

Instead of adding to our [government] luxuries, we should be focused on alleviating their suffering and finding solutions to their problems,” he reiterated.

Obi also criticised the N21 billion house President Tinubu commissioned for his Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, while citing the US residence as an example.

“To elucidate further, despite dropping down to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $252 billion and a per capita income of $1,080, with huge debt burdens and borrowing to service debts, yet we are spending $15 million for our Vice President’s residence, while the USA, the world’s largest economy with a GDP of $25 trillion, about 100 times our GDP, and a per capita income of $80,000, about 80 times ours, still houses their Vice President in Number 1 Observatory Circle, a house built over 100 years ago, and whose value is less than the $15 million we are spending on our VP’s residence.

“A reputable real estate company said the US Vice President’s Official Residence is valued at about $7.5 million today.

“While we had refurbished the old VP residence with $2 million earlier, the over 100-year-old US Vice President’s house has only undergone wide-scale renovations twice, funded by taxpayers’ money, in 1993 and 2021. Every new US VP is free to finance any minor refurbishing from his funds,” he added.

Obi urged the government to prioritise education, healthcare, and lifting citizens out of poverty. At the same time, he also called for an end to the gross display of impunity, insensitivity and shamelessness towards the people’s plights.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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