BROKE: FG may sell MDA helicopters, jets

Indications have emerged that the Federal Government
may soon embark on the sale of aircraft owned by its
ministries, departments and agencies.
The affected aircraft Sunday Punch learnt are those no
longer in use by the MDAs due to old age or lack of
fund and maintenance.
A national newspaper (not The PUNCH ) had reported
on Friday that President Muhammadu Buhari had
ordered the sale of nine aircraft in the Presidential Air
Fleet but this was denied by his Senior Special
Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu.
However, findings by our correspondent on Saturday
showed that the President had received a report,
detailing the total number of aircraft in the PAF, and the
number and types of aircraft owned by ministries,
departments and agencies.
As of press time on Saturday, it was not clear if
President Buhari had agreed with the report or given
approval for the sale of some aircraft in the PAF and
those owned by the MDAs.
Sources in the Presidency, who are aware of the
content of the report, however told our correspondent
that the report listed a total of 13 aircraft under the
PAF.
These include the nine aircraft that are being used by
the President and four others that are categorised under
the Executive Airlift.
The Executive Airlift craft are used for carrying top
government officials like the Senate President, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Heads of State of
other countries and other top government officials who
may be on special national assignments.
The source listed the nine aircraft that are being used
by the President as Boeing Business Jet 737 (Air Force
001, Gulfstream 550 (bought in 2011), two Falcon 7X
planes (bought in 2012), Hawker Sidlley 4000 (bought
in 2011), Gulfstream V , two Augusta 139 helicopter, and
one Augusta 101 helicopter.
The four aircraft used for Executive Airlift are Falcon
900, Dornier 229 King D200 , and Cessna Citation jet.
It was learnt from Presidency sources that the report
also listed over 25 aircraft as belonging to MDAs out of
which a significant number must be sold.
These include Nigeria Customs Service, which has four
aircraft namely two Bell helicopters, one Dornier 228
and one Cessna Citation private jet; the Nigerian Police
Force, which has 10 helicopters and one Cessna
Sovereign private jet; and the Nigeria Immigration
Service, which has six aircraft that are being used for
border patrol.
Others are the National Emergency Management
Agency, which has four helicopters and one Cessna
Encor private jet; the Ministry of Aviation, which has a
Hawker Siddley calibration jet that is not being used;
and the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria
which has six German-made helicopters that are no
longer serviceable.
The source said, “The report before the President
recommended that all these aircraft numbering over 25
should be drastically reduced by selling most of them.
Most of them are avenues for corruption, wastage and
leakages in the system.
“Some of the MDAs are not running all the aircraft and
there are budgetary provisions that are being made for
their maintenance and running on yearly basis. There
are no pilots flying some of the helicopters. Since most
of them are not being maintained and run, the report
said they should be sold and the money put in the
treasury. Only a few of the aircraft will be retained.
Apart from the helicopters that are used for operations,
some of the MDAs have ultra-modern and expensive
private jets. The report is querying what they are using
them for.”
As for the 13 aircraft in the PAF, it is still unclear if any
or some of them will be sold.
But aviation experts believe the size of the PAF, which
is one of the largest in Africa and the second largest
airline.
The General Secretary, Aviation Round Table, an
industry pressure group, Group Captain John Ojikutu,
said, he was not expecting anything less from the
President because the actions were long overdue.
According to him, the Buhari administration needs to do
more.
He said, “I don’t expect anything less from President
Muhammadu Buhari if it is true. We know very well that
we have been very wasteful as a country. We have also
been wasteful in the way individuals and MDAs acquire
private aircraft that they don’t use.
“In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister David
Cameron charters aircraft from the British Airways,
while the Pope travels by Alitalia Air. We have lots of
recklessness in this part of the world. It is only in Africa
you see these things. There are lots of things we need
to attend to.”
A former Assistant General Secretary, Airline Operators
of Nigeria, Mr. Muhammed Tukur, also said the aircraft
could be sold to both airline operators and private
individuals who could use them for commercial
purposes.
He argued that this could generate more revenue and
create jobs.