Buhari to sell planes as recession deepens

Following the launch of the “Change begins with me” campaign. President Muhammadu Buhari one year ago promised Nigerians to cut the cost of governance by selling a part of his presidential air fleet. Finally, Garba Shehu, presidential media aide, has on Thursday evening, September 8, announced that Buhari has given the order for the reduction of the number of jets in his fleet. He wrote on Twitter: “There is a government committee already in place, working to reduce the number of aircraft in the presidential fleet.”

This came as the reactions trail the launch of the “Change begins with me” campaign by President Buhari on September 8.

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The campaign is geared towards engendering a holistic attitudinal change in Nigerians, thereby restoring credible value system, spirit of patriotism amongst others. Nigerian blogger, public speaker, Japheth Omojuwa, said: “Change begins with selling the presidential jets. Only a genuinely rich country should think of having up to 3. We have about 10 jets.” Nigerians in their reactions called on the government to begin change from the presidency.

In his own reaction, Barrister Tunde Kolawole, a public analyst, said in a phone conversation with the National Daily that, “The keeping of 10 aircrafts in the Presidential fleet is immoral, callous and insensitive. It also negates the promise made by the President during the campaigns that he was going to do away with those aircrafts. If the Queen of England and the British Prime Minister whose country manufactures aircraft don’t have private jets, why will a country like Nigeria that cannot produce tooth pick keep 10 aircrafts?”