By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Mohammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, said that Prestige is one of the reasons why the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001 remains with President Buhari in London as he undergoes medical treatment.
Garba made the statement on Thursday in Abuja while reacting to insinuations that the Presidential jet was accruing heavy finance due to its retention in London.
The Presidential spokesman who listed other reasons as protocol, national security and diplomacy, added that there is no world leader who travels abroad and is left without plans for immediate return or possible evacuation.
According to Garba, “For the avoidance of doubt, this President is not the first to have a presidential aircraft standing by for him, as he will certainly not be the last.
“All past Heads of this country have had this privilege, and the part that surprises the most is that leaders who in the past travelled with three Nigerian aircraft did not suffer this trenchant criticism.
Garba described as untrue the claims about outrageous fees allegedly paid by Nigeria for the parked Presidential Jet, informing that Aircraft conveying heads of state all over the world, usually enjoy waivers even where payments for parking are differentiated by aircraft categories.
He therefore assured that where the waiver is not granted, payment will not exceed £1,000, which is a quarter of the amount being peddled.
The statement reads in part, “The Presidency is constrained to decry criticisms, mostly on social media, on the retention in London of the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001 as mostly informed by lack of understanding of protocol around foreign trips by Heads of State all over the world.
“We have also read claims about outrageous fees allegedly paid by Nigeria. The published amounts are totally untrue.
Garba who described it as opposition’s campaign aimed at derailing this administration’s big plans for the country, called on Nigerians to ignore it.
“From operational point of view, this country’s Armed Forces as represented by the Nigeria Air Force are not to abandon their Commander-In-Chief in whichever circumstance he is. This is a standard operating procedure, Garba said.
The Senior Special Assistant reminded that this a government that has saved the country an annual loss of two trillion Naira from fraudulent petroleum subsidy schemes by influential citizens and their children; rid the public service of about 50,000 ghost workers.
“This is a government that is constructing the Second Niger Bridge, the Mambila Power Plant, the East-West and the North-South standard gauge railway lines.”
Garba also asserted that the Buhari-led Federal Government certainly deserves a chance.
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