Finally, President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval for
the sale of two presidential aircraft, a Falcon 7x executive jet and Hawker
4000 from the Presidential Air Fleet, PAF. This was in the fulfillment of his 2015
election campaign promises of selling off many of the airplanes to reduce cost
if elected as president. More of the aircraft would also be sold in the coming
days.
The aircraft included Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-800 or
AirForce One), one Gulfstream 550, one Gulfstream V (Gulfstream 500), two
Falcons 7X, one Hawker Sidley 4000, two AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters and
two AgustaWestland AW 101 helicopters. In readiness to dispose the machines,
the presidency yesterday put out some advertorial, announcing the sales.
The Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity to
president Buhari, Mallam Grana Shehu said in a statement that the president
made the approval for the sale. The
newspaper advertisements for the sale of two Presidential aircraft, a Falcon 7x
executive jet and Hawker 4000 were duly authorised 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”, Shehu explained in a statement
yesterday.
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