President Muhammadu Buhari did not commit to selling off Nigeria’s airplanes which constitute the ‘Presidential Fleet’ during his campaign for office in 2015, says Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman.
Adesina further said the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah cannot prove that the President made such promise before his election.
Adesina spoke on the programme ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television, Monday.
Kukah, in his 2023 Easter Message, had knocked the President, saying, “As you prepare to return to Daura or Kaduna, I do not know if you feel fulfilled or that you met the tall dreams and goals you set for yourself such as: ending banditry, defeating corruption, bringing back our girls, belonging to everybody and belonging to nobody, selling off our presidential fleet and travelling with us etc.”
Reacting to Kukah’s claims however, Adesina said the cleric was too partisan and that his opinions were coloured by politics.
Adesina added:“He (Kukah) talked about selling presidential fleet. Was that ever promised? You know that in 2015, there were rash of promises made that even the candidates did not know about. So, how can he start claiming that he promised that?”
On the fight against corruption and banditry, Adesina said Buhari has done his best in securing the country and combating graft, adding that Nigeria is not where it was in 2015 when the President came into office.
“Are we where we were on the issue of banditry in 2015? The job is not fully done but are we where we were? If Father Kukah is true to himself and true to his calling, he will know that this country is not where it was in 2015,” he said.
“Selling off our presidential fleet, let him (Kukah) prove that the President made that promise.”
The presidential fleet had cost tax payers over N40bn, contrary to the promise made by Buhari in 2015 that there would be a cut in cost, Channels stated in its story.
Adesina said the President promised to look at the fleet and not sell off the fleet when he campaigned for office in 2015. He added that two or three of the jets had been sold from the presidential fleet and that two or three of the helicopters were handed over to the Nigerian Air Force.
“President Buhari promised to look at the presidential fleet, which he did. Helicopters were given to the Air Force, two or three jets were sold off.
“That is cutting off excesses. What some people expect is selling off all the jets and start flying the Nigerian Airways if Nigerian Airways still exists,” he said.
