PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sale of two of the aircraft operated by the Presidential Air Fleet (Paf) of the Nigerian Air Force as part of his ongoing programme to cut the excessive cost of governance.
Since assuming office last year, President Buhari has introduced an austerity programme to reduce the excessive costs of government in Nigeria. However, the Paf with its 11 aircraft is a huge drain on resources, as they cost a fortune to maintain and is the second largest fleet of planes in the country behind Arik Air.
Yesterday, the presidency, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (Onsa) advertised the sale of two aircraft in newspapers. According to the advert, the two aircraft to be disposed off comprise a Falcon 7X executive jet and a Hawker 4000.
In the advert, Onsa said all bids should be quoted in US dollars and invited interested buyers to inspect the Falcon at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International, Airport, Abuja, while the Hawker aircraft is to be inspected at the Cessna Zurich Citation Service Centre in Zurich, Switzerland. Interested buyers were given four weeks from yesterday to submit their bids for the two aircraft.
Apparently, the Falcon 7X with registration number 5N-FGU and serial number 090, has a passenger capacity for 16 persons and three crew members. The Hawker 4000 aircraft has a registration number 5N-FGX and serial number RC 066 and has a passenger capacity of nine persons and three crew.
Mallam Garba Shehu, President Buhari's spokesman, said the decision to sell the planes was in line with a directive that the aircraft in the presidential air fleet be reduced to cut waste. He added that when President Buhari campaigned as the All Progressives Congress candidate before the 2015 presidential election, he promised to look into the presidential air fleet with a view to cutting down on waste.
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