Headline

Pendulum: Thank God, Our First Lady is Back Home

Published

5 years ago

October 19, 2019

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, I have never hidden my admiration for our First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari. Although we met only once in London during those days of frenetic campaigning for Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) in 2014, I have followed her closely and therefore almost been in a position as if I know her well. Our meeting occurred when some Buharists had gathered at the Crown Plaza Hotel and Mrs Buhari, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, Mrs Toyin Saraki, Zahra Buhari, and many others came in to speak and cajole us about why Buhari should be our choice and enjoy our support. I greeted her and took some pictures with her very beautiful and amiable daughter. That was the closest I personally got to her, but I have followed her activities with keen interest.

Please, let me digress a bit before I return to Mrs Buhari. My job as a celebrity reporter had always given me access to women of power, fame and wealth, the way sugar attracts ants. Women like their male counterparts love to be written about and photographed, but the difference is they are not ashamed to flaunt this fact whilst the men typically display false humility even though they probably love it even more. Also, my background as a male feminist gave me an uncommon understanding of women issues. In 1988, I wrote my Master’s thesis on the oppression of women in African literature using the lenses of Egypt’s Nawal El Saadawi, Senegal’s Mariama Ba and Somalia’s Nuruddin Farah. What was more, I was solely nurtured by my Mum, after I lost my Dad in 1973.

I landed in Lagos in 1988 and was fortunate to find a job that exposed me to the rich and famous and the high and mighty. My first encounter with First Ladies was with Mrs Maryam Babangida. I wrote several stories on her and there were times I felt I will get into trouble with her because of that sneaky fear that wives of military dictators would most probably be dictatorial. But Mrs Babangida was classy, gorgeous and friendly. She was in the news most times for good reasons than bad ones. She employed very cerebral and intelligent staff. For example, her Spokesperson at a time was Greg Obong-Oshotse, who had bagged a First-Class degree in Political Science, from the University of Ife and had risen to the level of a star writer on the op ed page of Nigeria’s prestigious newspaper, The Guardian, and so on. I knew Greg from our university days at Ife and for this reason had great access to Mrs Babangida and stories concerning her. I got closer to her in London when she received The Hunger Project Award alongside Professor Wangari Mathai of Kenya (they are both of blessed memory). Again we spent ample time together in Monrovia during the inauguration ceremonies of Africa’s first female President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

I didn’t meet Mrs Maryam Abacha until after their departure from power. I was stunned when I got a call from Chief Abiola Ogundokun, who informed me the Abachas had extended an invitation to me to attend the simultaneous weddings of Zeynab and Gumsu Abacha. My initial reaction was, “how can, why me?”, after being forced into exile for three years by dear tough Dad. I consulted my close friends and more of them believed I should not display vindictiveness by snubbing them. “After-all Mandela forgave those who wasted 27 years of his adult life!” That really struck a chord in me. But the clincher was the one that said, “If Abacha had not chased you away, may be there would have been no Ovation!” Oh, my God, I soliloquised. Ovation International was God taking revenge on my behalf, positively.

I travelled to Kano, wow, Kano was still innocent then. I met Mrs Abacha, an incredibly beautiful woman. Then I met Zeynab and Gumsu and they are stunning younger versions of their mother. Radiant and ravishing brides to be. Oh yes, I met Rekiya too. And also, their handsome Brothers. Their Mum was too hospitable. It was as if the family was trying to atone for whatever injury they felt they had inflicted on me. But they need not have worried. My Christian faith had taken over. I read in the scriptures that I should forgive 70 times 7 times. Please, relax, I’m leading you somewhere. We covered the wpedding, gratis. It was our way of thanking God for making us victorious. But we got more than money. Nobody ever saw the indescribable “house of gold” Abacha built in pictures until Ovation published it. Not just that. No one ever saw the mausoleum in which General Sani Abacha was buried majestically, until Ovation Photographer, Ajayi Oyebo, sneaked to the back of the house, like a thief in the night and came back with an uncommon scoop. Mind you, that Edition sold out completely. And that story established us as true professionals who rose above personal squabbles to give the world a masterpiece and collector’s edition. Some vilified us, but many congratulated us for our professionalism and revelations.

Haaa, I miss the Mama Ovation herself, Mrs Stella Obasanjo. Our bond must have been from heaven. She liked Ovation so much and even advised me from time to time on how to improve content and form. I make bold to say Ovation International holds the copyright of her best portrait ever with her husband, President Olusegun Obasanjo. They were returning from a trip to Cuba and I got our audaciously brilliant Photographer, Dragan Mikki, to ambush them at their transit hotel in Gatwick Airport. Little did they realise who was behind the coup. Dragan suddenly blocked Baba as he was about strutting out of the hotel. Before he and his bodyguards could recover from the shock and readjust, Dragan had grabbed a chair and tucked Obasanjo into it like a baby. Dragan was barking orders at Baba and his lovely wife. Their spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe looked bewildered, but Dragan had already succeeded in hypnotizing and mesmerizing the first couple. The pictures were awesome, and it fetched Dragan an invitation from Canterbury to Abuja and Lagos, where he covered the wedding of Gbenga Obasanjo. We also got the wedding of Kofo Obasanjo in London. Mrs Stella Obasanjo already contacted me about her impending 60th birthday celebration before she went on what would eventually become an eternal journey to Spain, never to return.

After Lady Stella came Mrs Turai Yar’Adua, very pleasant and a bit taciturn. Her husband tried his best for Nigeria, but his health meant that the country never got the best of him. I first met both at the wedding of their daughter to the Governor of Bauchi State, Issa Yuguda and Ovation produced a classic edition to mark the occasion. Everything seemed to be going right for them and the nation until she allowed the Aso Rock cabal of the time to take over the life of her fatally ill husband. It remains a mystery what they promised that got her to play along dangerously with them and practically subvert the Nigerian constitution until things fell apart and the centre could no longer hold. But I believe that unfortunate saga left her in the reclusive state she has found herself today.

Step forward Mama Peace, the unstoppable, the irrepressible, the indomitable, the inimitable Dame Dr Patience Jonathan. She provided her own drama and fanciful lexicon as far as First Ladies go. She really coveted and enjoyed power and could easily have been the de facto President, but she lost power eventually alongside her husband, a perfect gentleman. She remains one of the most controversial First Ladies. Despite having a few mutual friends, we did not meet until after her departure from office. It is unimaginable that the powerful Dame is quietly in this country, although she seems to have embarked on a strange ⁰mission in Bayelsa State by openly working against her Party. The lesson is, time is everything and nobody has absolute control of it. I hope she and others will learn from her experience.

I have gone through this long preamble to show my familiarity with First Ladies. We remember how some made their husbands while others marred theirs. A First Lady is never an accessory of a President but an integral part of the President. As the saying goes, “behind every successful man is a strong, powerful woman”. No President can be happy outside if he is unhappy at home. I think President Buhari started losing a lot of his esteem and popularity when he made that unfortunate statement that his wife belongs in the other room. He upset and antagonised a lot of women and their male supporters and admirers. A good leader must be good at public relations stunts. This was, to put it mildly, a public relations disaster and I am not sure the President has really recovered from it in the public estimation. It is not an act of valour or gallantry to put down your wife in public. Those who disrespected and continue to disrespect our First Lady did and do so because her husband dissed her first. I was always happy whenever I saw them and their children on the Presidential jet travelling abroad. They portrayed the vision of a happy, united and contented family.

The job of a President is too heavy and tedious and requires the support of your closest friends and family. Most hangers on will move on when it is all over and leave the leader to carry his cross alone. Those shouting Hosanna today will scream “crucify him” tomorrow. Lady Aisha’s only offence is her independent mindedness. Those profiting from her husband’s absenteeism and occasional derailments are behind the many difficulties she has faced in trying to be part of the government and give candid advice to her husband. Her detractors and enemies in the government realising her popularity and intelligence needed to separate her and her husband in order to have maximum grip on power. This she would not accept without a fight. It is the reason she has stridently cried for help and ensured that she airs her concerns in the public space.

The same way the Vice President is now being craftily set up to look so bad in the public eye, the First Lady’s own started in a jiffy. Nigeria is a special country where real time movies are staged permanently. Sometimes, I believe our Nollywood is child’s play compared to the reality drama and debacle that our politicians serve up on a daily basis. Thank God, Lady Aisha came back home speedily. Whatever led her to stay away and whatever made her to return, it is clear that she has been greatly missed. Those holding her husband hostage of sorts will now be uneasy. This certainly wasn’t the denouement they plotted. Another example of man proposing and God disposing. Like joke like joke, a wedding may truly happen, by fire by force, but that is immaterial for now. I must confess though that I have learnt not to take anything for granted or to dismiss anything as ludicrous in our country.

Now that she’s back, she should map out an action plan. Her enemies may have retreated, but they are likely to strike again. Those who eye power as they do will not relent merely on account of a simple setback. All she needs is to keep herself busy and pamper her husband more. One of the reasons I will forever love, and support Hilary Clinton is the way she stoutly stood by her man as he was buffeted and savaged by the Monica Lewinsky affair. She was rewarded many times over by this singular feat. Loyalty will always be repaid and both Hilary and Bill Clinton were the winners. I beseech Mrs Buhari to learn from such an experience. Only the President and the First Lady will benefit from such an approach. It will give instant headache, nay migraine to the stupefied foes. I’m happy about the synergy between Lady Aisha and wife of the Vice President, Lady Dolapo Osinbajo. That combination is lethal and they need each other.

Before their very eyes, the years will fly away at supersonic speed. Lady Aisha needs to worry about their Legacy. Walahi, Baba needs all the help he can get because the situation right now is dire, but there is nothing stopping him from achieving those heydays if he listens to the counsel of his obviously smart and cosmopolitan wife. When tomorrow comes, everyone will vamoose, but Lady Aisha and her children have nowhere to go. They must remain steadfast now! As Margaret Thatcher said on another occasion, “the Lady’s not for turning”!

Thank God she’s back to re-energise Baba. They will be in our thoughts and prayers as we all pray for their success and, by implication, our success.

Headline

Mike Adenuga is Alive, Hale and Hearty, I Just Spoke with Him – Dele Momodu

Published

5 days ago

November 20, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Africa’s biggest philanthropist and Chairman, Globacom Group, Dr. Mike Adenuga is Alive, hale and hearty!

This has been confirmed by Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu via his social media handles.

Following rumours, whose source is yet to be ascertained that the man, known for his quantum giving, passed away, Momodu wrote that he had just spoken with the billionaire businessman, who affirmed his health while thanking all for their concern.

“Ignore the fake news…DR MICHAEL ADENIYI AGBOLADE ISOLA ADENUGA is hale and hearty. He is right now at his desk working round the clock in support of the Nigerian economy…He just called me to thank everyone for their concern,” Dele Momodu wrote.

In addition, members of the top echelon of the group have separately confirmed that the one known as The Bull is alive and healthy.

Dr. Adenuga has remained in the forefront of many families happy with his direct financial and material gifts as well as consistent promo from his Glo brand.

Only last night, CNN celebrated 15 years of his sponsorship of the African Voices Changemakers, where he has foe a decade and half been supporting budding African entertainers to reach their professional zenith.

Headline

A Tale of Two Emirs of Kano: Who Blinks First?

Published

6 days ago

November 18, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The uneasy calm that reared its ugly head in the ancient city of Kano since May 23, 2024, when Governor Yusuf Kabir sacked the sitting Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, replacing him with Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II, has yet to abate as the two prominent personalities have consistently laid claim to the emirship of the emirate, and operating from different palaces in the town.

The bitter rivalry between the two royalties has caused division not only in the emirate, but the entire Kano State, and spiraling into national politics, leaving the political parties, especially the New Nigerian Peoples Party, which is the governor’s party, the Presidency, alleged to be giving backing to the immediate past governor, Umar Ganduje, who is also the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the security agencies, who receive instructions from the Presidency, taking sides.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero are the parties embroiled in the bitter rivalry in a bid to outwit each other for the exalted Emir of Kano position. This was since Sanusi was reinstated as the 16th Emir, having been dethroned and exiled on March 9, 2020 by the former administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Sources close the two notable figures, and the palace told The Boss that it is not unlikely that both men are being supported by powerful entities.

“While Sanusi has the backing of the Kano State government as visibly manifested in the reinstatement process, Ado Bayero is being backed by the Federal Government of Nigeria,” one of the sources said.

The furore has consequently attracted the wrong commentaries from stakeholders within and outside the Kano Emirate, resulting in heated arguments, threats and possibly outbreak of direct and indirect confrontations. But six months into the leadership quagmire, none of the two has shifted ground, or is willing to shift ground as more and more intrigues of power play and desire for recognition continue to be the order of the day.

The ‘two emirs’, who continue to claim legitimacy, have variously been trying to outdo each other in the quest to be relevant in the scheme of things.

The rivalry between the two emirs and their loyalists has resuscitated with weddings and counter weddings.

Just this weekend, a former governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwnakwaso hosted the wedding of his daughter, Dr. Aisha Rabiu Kwankwaso, and her husband, Fahad Dahiru Mangal, at the palace of Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, which attracted prominent national citizens including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Waziri Adamawa Atiku Abubakar among others. Fahad is the son of Nigerian business magnate, Dahiru Mangal, founder of MaxAir, one of the country’s leading private airlines.

In what looked like a counter affair, the palace of Aminu Ado Bayero, in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, will on December 13, 2024 hosts a double wedding involving Jibrin Barau Jibrin and Aisha Barau Jibrin, the children of the Senate Deputy President, Barau I. Jibrin, to their spouses.

Some stakeholders told The Boss that the whole thing is a case of seeking relevance and originality.

Meanwhile, former Governor Kwankwaso has blamed President Bola Tinubu for the crises that have failed to abate in the state.

While speaking at the convocation ceremony of Skyline University in Kano on Sunday, Kwankwaso accused Tinubu and the political forces from Lagos of attempting to impose their influence on Kano’s leadership, particularly in the selection of the Emir.

“Today, we can see very clearly that there are significant efforts from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country. Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose even our Emir; instead, they want to impose their own Emir on Kano,” he stated.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

The Kano State House of Assembly, as widely speculated, repealed the 2019 Law, which was instrumental in removing Sanusi from office, and balkanise the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions.

The Assembly, in the new emirate law stipulated the sack of all the Emirs in the jurisdictions and a restoration of the old order, where only one Emir will be overseeing all of Kano.

As a result, the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, appended his signature on the bill, giving it the backing of the law, in the presence of the deputy governor, Aminu Abdulsalam, Speaker, Isma’il Falgore, and the SSG, Abdullahi Bichi. and thereafter, proceeded to sacking the emirs with a 48 hours ultimatum to vacate their palaces.

While the Emirs of Bichi, Rano, Karaye, and Gaya complied with the directive, the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, had gone to court to stop the process.

Both by native ordinance and law, every dethroned Emir is banished or expected to leave Kano for good. Recall that in 1965 when Muhammadu I, Sanusi’s grandfather resigned, having got wind of his possible dethronement, he abdicated to Bauchi, and never returned to Kano.

It was therefore, a surprise that on Saturday, Bayero, who was dethroned, returned to the city of Kano, and moved into a palace in Nasarawa LGA of the state; a move that proved that he has not relinquished power. While Sanusi is operating in the main palace, Bayero is operating from the Nasarawa Palace, creating two full blown emirs for one throne.

The Boss learnt that a squad of soldiers that had been protecting Bayero before he was dethroned, rode with him from the airport to the palace. The same report has it that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has been behind Bayero’s moves, especially his flight and residency in the city. The NSA denied the allegation, threatening legal action againat the deputy governor, who made the claim.

Responding after the deposed monarch arrived in Kano to a hero’s welcome from a horde of his supporters, the Deputy Governor of the state, Aminu Gwarzo, blamed Ribadu, for allegedly facilitating the return of Bayero to the palace by providing him with two private jets.

Ribadu, in a letter by his legal team, Aliyu & Musa Chambers, said that Gwarzo should retract his claim, tender apology, or face legal action.

The letter reads: “The attention of our client was drawn to a video clip being shared on different social media platforms wherein you granted an interview at Emir’s Palace in Kano on Saturday, the 25th day of May 2024, in a very calm atmosphere, and without any provocation whatsoever, falsely accusing our client of using his office to kill the people of Kano State and maim their properties.

“In the clip, you were shown to be speaking in Hausa.

“Your false accusations against our client portraying his office as an appendage of a political party and a willing tool to cause chaos in Kano is false and done to damage the hard-earned reputation of our client in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the society and indeed it has succeeded in doing so.

“In all the places he has served, our client has never been accused of any wrongdoing.

“Given this illustrious background, it is inconceivable that someone would harbour the thought that our client would descend his exalted office so low as to interfere in the local tussle of the Kano Emirate.

“The wide coverage you gave your interview has caused serious embarrassment to our client and his family.

“Since the publication, our client has been receiving a barrage of telephone calls both within and outside Nigeria from friends and associates who felt disappointed in him because of the false allegation owing to the fact that it came from a person occupying the office of Deputy Governor of Kano State.

“Our client and his office take your allegations seriously and by this letter, our client is demanding that you provide irrefutable evidence to substantiate your claims.

The return of Bayero consequently prompted the governor to order his arrest.

In a counter, a federal high court in Kano ordered the state government not to enforce the Emirate Council Repeal Law 2024, and desist from from issuing Sanusi appointment letter.

STAND OF SECURITY OPERATIVES

The Kano State Police Command refused to arrest Bayero, saying he would only enforce the court order restraining the state government from dissolving five newly created Emirates in the state, and restatement of Sanusi.

The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Hussain Gumel, while making a broadcast, flanked by representatives of other security agencies, vowed to maintain law and order, assuring that security agencies won’t spare anyone trying to temper the peace across the state.

He said: “Let me also remind you that the position of the law is very clear as whoever, under whatever guise is found to be planning to disrupt the peace being enjoyed in the State or feel that he or she can jeopardize the existing security settings in the State will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“Therefore, as the Police Command is leading other security agencies to sustain the peace and peaceful coexistence for overriding interests, miscreants should steer clear of violence in all its ramifications and should not take advantage or hijack the current situation to launch an unprovoked attack on people, property and infrastructure of the State. Any person found with such a tendency will be ruthlessly dealt with according to the law of the land

“The combined security agencies in the State have set out all machinery in place to ensure no breakdown of law and order as the safety and security of all the inhabitants in the State remain sacrosanct,” Gumel said.

NBA TAKES A STAND, URGES CAUTION

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for caution in the legal fireworks playing out in Kano, stressing that it is deeply “deeply concerned about these developments in many ways”.

In a statement, NBA chairman in Kano, Sagir Gezawa, said it is the constitutional duty of a state assembly to legislate and once passed, it remains the prerogative of a governor to assent to such law.

“Once assented to by the governor, it has become a Law and its implementation is to be done by state apparatus and of course enforced by a competent court of law,” Gezawa said.

“It’s further within the purview of courts to interpret such law to be in tandem with other existing laws or the constitution.

“In doing so, we urge our members to act responsibly in approaching courts with competent jurisdiction.

“A court order, once given, is sacrosanct and must be obeyed.

“However, it must be noted that while the court has its own mechanism of enforcing its order, it’s not within the powers of the Nigerian Army to deploy troops to enforce court order. This is a sad reminder of the military dictatorship and must be condemned.

“Anyone found wanting or in disobedience of a court order (which is declaratory in nature) must first be proved to have been notified of the existence of the said court order by issuance of Form 48 and subsequently Form 49 notifying such person of the consequences of his or her actions.

“This is in line with the Sheriff and Civil Processes Act and Laws of the various States for enforcing court judgments.

“Engaging security apparatus without the officers of the Deputy Sherriff’s Department of the relevant court that made the order may appear to be self-help which must also be condemned.

“As an association therefore, we call on all state actors, to be mindful of their oaths of office and for the security agencies, their scope of duties so as not to make mockery of our judicial system.”

The NBA said the actions of the state actors “may breach the security and peace” in Kano and “they shall be held accountable in this life or the next,” the statement said.

But some notable personalities including former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has blamed the Bola Tinubu-led federal government for being behind the crisis in Kano.

Atiku made accusation via a statement by his spokesperson, Mr. Paul Ibe on Saturday.

“The action of the Federal Government in deploying soldiers in Kano in the tussle over the throne of the ancient city is an upset to the peace and security of the state, and also in breach of the 1999 Constitution as Amended.

“In performing their constitutional duties of law making, the Kano State House of Assembly (KSHA) passed the amended Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024 in consonance with the provision of Section 4 of the Constitution 1999 as Amended whereas the Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf subsequently signed into law the said bill. The law therefore repealed the 2019 version which balkanized the ancient Kano Emirate into five.

“The foregoing circumstances happened within the confines of the law and in compliance with the powers conferred on the Governor as provided by Section 5(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended; and also in consultation with the Kingmakers of Kano, reappointed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II) as the 16th Emir of Kano State and accordingly handed him a letter of appointment.
It is surprising that in the early hours of today, exactly at about 5:30 am the former Emir of Kano, His Majesty Aminu Ado Bayero backed by Federal might made their way into the Nasarawa Palace of the Kano Emirate while the reappointed Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II was at the Gidan Dabo, which is the main residence of the Emir of Kano.

“In this wise, the former Emir could not have made his way into the Nasarawa Palace without the support of the Federal Government having done so with the support of the Army and other security personnel in his company. The deployment of soldiers in extra constitutional matters such as this undermines the integrity of the Nigerian military.

“We need to remind the Tinubu administration that Kano State is known for peace and harmony spanning thousands of years and any attempt to destablise the peace of the Land of Commerce shall be resisted. Recall that Muhammadu Sanusi II was dethroned on 9th March, 2020 dethroned, Kano forged on in peace without any fracas.

“We wish to state unequivocally that if for any reason, law and order breaks down in Kano State, particularly Kano Municipal, the Federal Government should be held responsible as the act of providing security cover to the former Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero to come back to Kano is an invitation to anarchy,” he said.

In the same vein, the Council of Ulamas, has President Bola Tinubu against plunging Kano into chaos. The group said, the crisis, if not well managed, could escalate and degenerate into chaos.

With the state backing the reinstatement of Sanusi, the path looks smooth for Muhammadu Sanusi II to repossess the emirship of Kano, but all will depend on how the politics of superiority is played in the coming days.

While Tinubu watches without lifting a finger of settlement, the ancient city of Kano, like Rivers State, is slowly burning down.

Headline

How FG Spent N19bn on Presidential Planes in 15 Months – Report

Published

2 weeks ago

November 12, 2024

Eric

At least N19.43 billion has reportedly been spent on the maintenance and operations of the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to September 2024.

According to GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal government’s spending, showed that for 2024, the payouts amounted to N13.55billion, representing 66 per cent of the allocations for the fleet in the 2024 fiscal year.

Most disbursements were labeled ‘Forex Transit Funds,’ typically funds allocated for foreign exchange requirements to facilitate international transactions and engagements.

In the context of the Presidential Air Fleet, such funds are used to cover expenses related to operations outside the country, including fuel purchases, maintenance or services in foreign currencies.

“When aircraft on the fleet are abroad, payments are often made in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency to ensure uninterrupted operations,” a government official explained.

In July 2023, N1.52bn was disbursed in two tranches of N846m and N675m for ‘Presidential air fleet forex transit funds.’

The following month, N3.1bn was disbursed in three tranches of N388m, N2bn, and N713m for the same item.

In November of that year, N1.26bn was released to the Presidential Air Fleet Naira transit account.

The first overhead for 2024 came in March, where N1.27bn were disbursed twice, amounting to N2.54bn. The transit account received N6.35bn in April, N4.97bn in May and N210m in July.

August saw the highest frequency of transactions, with N5.60bn released in six separate disbursements.

Although these transactions were not clearly labeled, the monies were paid into the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account, including the N35m transfer made in September.

In late April, the transit account received N5.08bn; this came around the same time the President was on a two-nation tour to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

Although Tinubu arrived in the Netherlands in a state-owned Gulfstream AeroSpace 550 Jet, the aircraft could not proceed to Saudi Arabia due to unspecified technical problems. He reportedly continued his journey on a chartered private plane.

At the time, the President’s Boeing 737 business jet was undergoing maintenance. It was later replaced with an Airbus A330 purchased for $100m in August through service-wide votes.

The nearly 15-year-old plane, an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (MSN 1053), is “spacious and furnished with state-of-the-art avionics, customised interior and communications system,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga said, adding that it “will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”

The new Airbus A330 is just one of several aircraft currently on the Presidential Air Fleet, arguably one of Africa’s largest, with around 11 aircraft of various makes and models. Until August, it comprised the 19-year-old B737-700 and a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550.

The BBJ was acquired during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at $43m but became a money guzzler as it aged.

Onanuga, defending the purchase of Airbus A330, argued that the new Airbus 330 aircraft and the costs of maintaining the air fleet were not for the president but in the interest of Nigerians.

“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property…the President did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it, but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.

“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago. There was a time when the President went to Saudi Arabia, and the plane developed some problems. The President had to leave the Netherlands with a chartered jet.

“Nigerians should try to prioritise the safety of the President. I’m not sure anybody wishes our president to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand it over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.

The presidential aide said he discussed with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on the faulty plane [Boeing 737 jet] and he said the maintenance costs were excessive because of the age of the aircraft, hence the need for another plane.

The presidential fixed-wing fleet includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605.

Three of the seven fixed-wings are reportedly unserviceable. Meanwhile, the rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force but supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Former President Buhari promised to reduce the number of aircraft in the PAF to the absolute necessary.

In April 2023, three jets were put up for sale, but there were no specifics on which.

However, efforts to sell one of the Dassault Falcon 7x and the Hawker 4000 in October 2016 stalled when a potential buyer reduced their initial offer from $24m to $11m.

Since 2017, budgetary allocations for the fleet have shown a growing trend, with one exception in 2020.

The allocation for the fleet increased from N4.37bn in 2017 to N20.52bn in 2024, showing a 370 per cent rise in running costs.

In 2018, the fleet’s budget rose significantly by 66.13 per cent to N7.26bn, driven by a substantial increase in capital project allocations while maintaining similar levels for recurrent costs. This upward trajectory continued into 2019, slightly increasing the total allocation to N7.30bn.

The exception came in 2020, when the budget dropped by nearly seven per cent to N6.79bn, primarily due to decreased overhead costs, a reflection of the global economic impacts of lockdowns and disruptions in operations.

By 2021, however, the budget surged dramatically to N12.55bn—a record increase of 84.83 per cent from the previous year.

In 2022, maintenance expenses for each aircraft ranged from $1.5m to $4.5m annually.

The 2022, 2023 and 2024 appropriation acts earmarked N12.48bn, N13.07bn and N20.52bn respectively.

On his way to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa, a foreign object damaged the cockpit windscreen of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s GulfStream aircraft during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.

According to Lee Aerospace, manufacturers of the Gulfstream, jet windshields consist of thick multilayered structures of varying layers of glass and transparent acrylic built to withstand collision with a 2kg object.

However, damage to the windshield must have affected its inner layers. While specific prices for replacement can vary based on supplier, labour rates and regional costs, estimates suggest that a single windshield replacement for a G550 can range from $50,000 to $70,000 for part and labour costs.

In an interview with our correspondent, the General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, blamed the meteoric rise in the allocations for the PAF on the age of some of the aircraft in the fleet and declining value of the naira as well as the “commercial use” of aircraft by the Nigerian Air Force.

Ohunayo said, “The cost will definitely increase over the years because for one, this issue of the naira against the dollar. As the naira keeps falling to the dollar, we will see a rise in cost because most of the costs of training crew and engineers and replacing aircraft parts are all in dollars.

“Also, some of these aircraft are not new. The older the aircraft, the higher the cost of maintenance and operation.

“Lastly, during these past years, terrorism and insecurity have increased in Nigeria, which has also affected the cost of insuring the aircraft.”

For his part, the Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, argued that the administration’s spending habits were opposite to Nigerians’ expectations of frugality.

“What we are getting from this administration is opposite to our expectation. We thought we would have an administration that would be frugal in spending and very meticulous at implementing its budget.

“But what we are getting is an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy; that doesn’t see anything wrong in living big amid a poverty-stricken nation.

“It is a reenactment of the Shagari administration, whereby they bought the biggest Mercedes Benz and made themselves as comfortable as possible without considering how much the masses are suffering.

“So when you look at a Vice President saying he’s not travelling [to Samoa] again because there was a splinter on the windscreen of his private aircraft. Why should that be the case?

“First and foremost, we need to be represented at such an international meeting, where we should be well represented by the first two citizens of this country.

“He abandoned that, which means we would have lost certain representation that we deserve at that forum. Two, money will have been spent on advance parties that went ahead of the Vice President. But he abandoned the journey altogether.”