•Presidential jet
Newly acquired presidential aircraft, Airbus A330-200, with registration number, 5N-FGA, is 15 years old, investigation has revealed.
Also, Nigeria is the third owner of the same aircraft with test registration number, F-WWKR, and Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN), 1053, reports Daily Independent.
Information gathered by our correspondent indicates that the federal government had taken delivery of the aircraft on Sunday from Toulouse, France, its production site.
It was gathered that the controversial aircraft was manufactured in November 2009 with the registration number, VP-CAC, for Midroc Aviation, based in Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International, Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft was with the configuration, VIP; engines, 2xRR and HEX CODE, 4241AC.
The Saudi Arabian aviation company operated the aircraft for 12 years before it was acquired by AMAC Aerospace in April 2021 with the same registration number, configuration and engines.
AMAC Aerospace is a Switzerland based company, which operated the aircraft for three years before it was acquired by the Nigerian government recently and upgraded to the current status.
The federal government, according to investigation, took delivery of the aircraft on Sunday, August 18, 2024 with the registration number, 5N-FGA and HEX CODE, 06430C, from a factory in France.
Though the government has kept mute about the cost of the aircraft, information gathered by our correspondent indicated that the government acquired the airplane at the cost of $100 million and retrofitted with state-of-the-art gadgets with another $50 million.
The price of a brand new A330- 200 aircraft is $238.5 million, while A330-300 is priced at $264.2 million and A330-200F costs $241.7 million to acquire.
The aircraft was a subject of legal tussle between Nigeria and Ogun State on one hand and a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment, over a contractual issue with the state government in 2007.
The Nigerian government had earlier in the year lamented about the high cost of maintaining its 22 years old Boeing 737.
The government had said that the jet, which was acquired during the time of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was costing a huge sum of money to maintain due to its age.
A source close to the presidency confided in our correspondent that the federal government spent over $4.5 million for the jet’s maintenance in 2023, while more money would be expended on the equipment in 2024.
In a bid to save cost in the long run, experts in the Nigerian aviation industry had said it was necessary for the government to acquire a modern jet, which would consume less fuel for the president’s movement, but cautioned that it should not be an opportunity to swindle the country.
A month to the expiration of the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the aircraft was sent for a comprehensive maintenance ahead of the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The federal government had earmarked N12.7 billion for the maintenance of the presidential air fleet in the 2023 supplementary budget.
The figure was in the recurrent expenditure of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) with a total budget of N29.7 billion.
Speaking on the issue, Engr. Femi Adeniji, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigame Aircraft Consultancy Incorporation, Florida, United States of America (U.S.A.), said that the older an aircraft is, the more expensive it is to maintain.
Adeniji also explained that this is largely dependent on how frequently the aircraft is maintained by the user.
According to him, it was necessary for the government to acquire more modern equipment that would serve it better and cheaper to maintain on the long run with reduced fuel consumption.
He also said that for security and safety reasons, the presidency should have an in-house MRO facility, which could at least carry out C-checks maintenance on the jet, rather than taking such equipment outside the country for maintenance purposes.
The Nigame CEO maintained that this maintenance should be carried out by the engineers in the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) and certified by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
He said: “Is the aircraft on any maintenance programme, which is like health insurance; paying a monthly premium based on the budgeted flight hours? This pays in the long run to reduce your maintenance cost because the presidential fleet could not keep a pool of parts.
“For security reasons too, presidential fleet aircraft maintenance too are better and safer being complied with in-house, providing the right equipment and tooling for this instead of overseas where the crew hotel accommodations, logistics, per diem and others are all inclusive because they have to be there and monitor the maintenance and security assurance.”
Adeniji reiterated that Nigeria required a presidential jet, for security, easy access, movement of the president, vice president, higher officers of the government.
Besides, Engr. Sheri Kyari, an engineer with the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, posited that purchasing a brand new aircraft for presidential movement would be better in a bid to reduce the maintenance cost.
He, however, advised that the government should still go for a Boeing brand of equipment because of its maintenance and technical expertise in the country.
The high cost of maintenance of the presidential air fleet had consistently provoked outcry from Nigerians.
The country had budgeted N73.3 billion for the presidential air fleet from 2011 to 2020.
Tinubu Departs For France Aboard New Presidential Jet
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja, the nation’s capital, for Paris, France.
He flew the new Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, posted the information on his X handle yesterday.
The new plane, is believed to have been bought far below the market price, which presidency sources say saves the country huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.
The recommendation to replace the B737-700(BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s parliament that questioned the plane’s safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Nigerian Senate’s security and intelligence committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses.
Meanwhile, the presidency had on Sunday announced that President Tinubu would be travelling to France yesterday.
The terse statement attributed to Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, was not specific on the reasons for the trip.
The statement simply indicated, “President Bola Tinubu will embark on a trip to France on Monday, August 19, departing from Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“The president will return to the country after his brief work stay in France”.
