Nigeria’s federal government has put three ageing presidential jets on sale in a move officials say will cut excessive spending on fleet maintenance
The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence recently recommended that two aircraft should be purchased for use by the president and the vice-president.
Selling off the three aircraft would cut by half the number of jets in the presidential air fleet, TheCable reported. The fleet currently consists of six airplanes and four helicopters.
The current fleet, maintained by the presidential air fleet (PAF), an arm of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), include Boeing 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream GV, two Falcon 7x and one Challenger CL605.
Insiders, however, said at least half of the entire fleet is made up of unserviceable or failing aircraft, necessitating the need to dispose those considered to be of greater burden to the fleet.
The jets pencilled down for sale, TheCable understands, are a Boeing 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), which is the president’s designated aircraft, one Gulfstream and a Falcon 7x.
The federal government has appointed a frontline US-based airline marketer, JetHQ, as the broker for the sale of the three aircraft.
An exclusive marketing agreement had been signed between the Nigerian government and the company giving the firm permission to value the three aircraft and subsequently market them.
Insiders said proceeds from the sale would go into procuring a new jet for the fleet, for which a search is ongoing.
“We saw the report and recommendation by the lawmakers. But the truth of the matter is that we can not afford to buy two aircraft at a go, even though we are selling off others. The approval now is to find one whose cost is not too much that we can augment with what we raise from this sale,” a senior official, who is familiar with the management of the fleet, said
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