Some Nigerians have risen against President Muhammadu Buhari allowing members of his family the use aircraft in the presidential fleet.
Activist and lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN and President of Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, Sunday, said the use of aircraft in the presidential fleet by members of the first family for private events is not backed by law.
It will be recalled that Hanan Buhari, the president’s daughter and the first-class graduate in Photography said to have been invited to the Durbar by Rilwanu Adamu, Emir of Bauchi flew in a presidential jet on Thursday for the private function.
Reacting to the development, Falana said there is no such practice, and that the “official policy” of the Federal Government “does not authorise the children of the President to use the presidential jets to attend to private social functions.
“In fact, there is no precedent whatsoever for such privatisation of the presidency of Nigeria,” Falana added.
He said Buhari had promised to reduce the cost of maintaining aircraft in the presidential fleet, which according to him, stands at N8.5 billion in the 2020 budget.
“The so called ‘normal practice’ of using the aircraft in the presidential fleet by members of the first family to attend to private engagements is not backed by any extant law or official policy,” he said.
“In view of the foregoing, we call on President Buhari to stop the members of his family from using any of the aircraft in the presidential fleet “with a view to cutting down on waste”.
“A country that is said to be the headquarters of the greatest number of poverty stricken people in the world cannot afford to waste billions of Naira on the use of presidential aircraft and hiring of commercial jets by state governors that are owing workers several months of unpaid salaries.”
It’s undue personalization of governance – Dr. Obayuwana, CDHR
Obayuwana on his part, said “I don’t think she’s entitled to it. By virtue of her status as a daughter to the president, she maybe be entitled to some kind of protection, but to say that in her own right she has right to facilities used by the presidency is undue personalization of governance. It is an entire misconception.
“Buhari is not the king of Nigeria, he only occupy’s one office and that office he was the one that was sworn in not his wife or daughter. The family maybe entitle to some level of security protection, so if the daughter takes undue advantage of what belongs to the office of the President, she’s on her own and Mr. President should bear the expenses. I think that demonstrate how ridiculous this whole thing is being.”
