By Abiola Olawale
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and two-term governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal government over a recent court judgment ordering the seizure of three aircrafts in Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet.
The former governor described the development as an international embarrassment.
Obi said the development is yet another of many embarrassing incidents exposing the nation’s failed leadership and poor attitude to the rule of law in a democracy.
The former Presidential candidate made this known in a statement issued on Thursday.
Obi said the emergence of the report has indicated that the Federal Government is attempting to sell some Presidential jets to buy another jet in an unexplained deal despite public outcry and horrifying economic hardship.
Obi said: “The trending international news on the seizure of three Jets belonging to Nigeria’s Presidential fleet is yet another of many embarrassing things exposing our failed leadership and our attitude to the rule of law even in a democracy. It has also exposed multiple dimensions to our leadership failure and our insensitivity to the plight of the growing poor class in our midst.
“The fact that the federal government went ahead with the jet deal despite the cacophonous cry against the purchase of a Presidential jet at this time when the people are going through a horrifying economic hardship shows the insensitivity of this administration.
“Added to it is the embarrassing aspect of our country’s Presidential jets being held for contractual breaches arising from yet another dimension of inadequate leadership tidiness.
“I have been loud in my demand over time that the government at all levels should be accountable to the people, meaning that they must be very transparent in all their dealings. Until a court in France prohibits Nigeria from moving or selling these three jets, Nigerians have no iota of information about both the buying and selling of these aircraft.
“It has been done in secrecy. Federal Government property, which belongs to the people, is being managed as a personal family asset. Paying as much as $100m for a Presidential jet for a country that is the poverty capital of the World and has more out-of-school children with over 40% food inflation is the height of concern for the people’s feelings.
“This incident has also opened up an aspect of indiscipline that is copiously embedded in our country which is the abuse and disrespect for the rule of law.
“Here are questions begging for answers:
“To what extent did the Ogun government follow its agreement with the Chinese firm?
“After the UK court ruling that prohibited some Nigeria building in Liverpool, what did both Ogun state and Federal government do before the French court action?
“I would like to, therefore, challenge the federal government to come clean and transparent on this matter and tell Nigerians how we got to this latest international mess.”
The New Diplomat reports that a French Court had ordered the seizure of three presidential jets following the alleged failure of Ogun State Government to honour a $74.5 million award granted to a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, by an independent arbitration tribunal chaired by the former President of the UK Supreme Court.
The jets that have been ordered seized are said to be part of Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet.
However, the Presidency on Thursday said it is aware of the development, accusing Zhongshan of attempting to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge.
