Unic Press UK: The federal government has completed a handover of two presidential jets to the Nigerian Air Force in line with its plan to down-size from the ten airplanes’ in the presidential fleet prior to the administration of President Buhari.
Today the Presidential Air Fleet will hand over another two aircraft to the Nigerian Air Force.
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) October 10, 2016
We're live at the Pres Wing of the Abuja Airport, for handover of 2 Pres Fleet aircraft to the Nigerian Air Force pic.twitter.com/5Mi0McGTqW
— We ASOcial (@DigiCommsNG) October 10, 2016
The two Helicopters are part of the 10 aircraft in Presidential Air Fleet. They were acquired on 20 Oct 2014
and 21 May 2015 respectively— We ASOcial (@DigiCommsNG) October 10, 2016
This is 2nd handover of aircraft from Presidential Air Fleet to Nigerian Air Force. 1st handover was in 2015, shortly after PMB took over.
— We ASOcial (@DigiCommsNG) October 10, 2016
Contracts for the 2 brand new PAF Helicopters being handed over today were awarded in 2014. Delivery on 20 Oct 2014 and 21 May 2015.
— We ASOcial (@DigiCommsNG) October 10, 2016
Signing the documents for the Transfer. NSA for @NGRPresident; Hon Minister of Defence on behalf of Nig Air Force pic.twitter.com/n6Wj8trNqk
— We ASOcial (@DigiCommsNG) October 10, 2016
President Buhari had earlier approved the sale of two of the double digit luxury presidential airplanes’ owned by Nigeria to cut excessive waste in the cost of governance in Nigeria. It is widely believed that Nigeria has at ten presidential jets for use by the office of the President.
A message from the office of the senior special assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on the 4th October 2016, reads:
“President Buhari is Down-Sizing the Presidential Air Fleet
“The newspaper advertisements for the sale of two Presidential aircraft, a Falcon 7x executive jet and Hawker 4000 were duly authorized by the Presidency.
“This is in line with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that aircraft in the Presidential air fleet be reduced to cut down on waste.
“When he campaigned to be President, the then APC candidate Muhammadu Buhari, if you recall, promised to look at the presidential air fleet with view to cutting down on waste.
“His directive to a government committee on this assignment is that he liked to see a compact and reliable aircraft for the safe airlift of the President, the Vice President and other government officials that go on special missions.
“This exercise is by no means complete.
“I am sure the Commander of the Presidential air fleet will any time from now, call you to a ceremony at which he will hand over some other aircraft to the Airforce for their operations.”