Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, has alleged that the presidency and the National Assembly have decided to be bandits against Nigerians. 

Ezekwesili stated this while commenting on the purchase of the new presidential aircraft during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

She said that Nigerians were drifting into poverty every minute.

Ezekwesili  said, “That aircraft is 19-year-old. In everything that we have heard, they are trying to justify the purchase of the new aircraft.

“The fellows dare to play with the intelligence of the public. The executive, the presidency, the National Assembly, I think they have decided that they are the bandits.

“The political class has decided that they are bandits against Nigerians. Because I do not see how it is feasible that the priority of a government that has this level of biting hunger in the land, this level of poverty where people are dropping into poverty per minute would consider the purchase of aircraft for the president.

“The construction of N21 billion home for the vice president; the purchase of all kinds of funny looking cars and the fleet of the National Assembly members and the executive, what exactly is that?”

She added that nobody should pity Tinubu because he agreed with everything former President Muhammadu Buhari was doing.

She added, “I said it publicly that it would not be a piece of cake to run the economy because of the absolute devastation of everything that even resembled economic policy. I don’t think they were doing economic policy under Buhari.

“But this administration agreed with everything Buhari was doing. There in their own case nobody should feel sorry for them.

“They were culpable in it. The problem with Nigerian societies is that they quickly forget things. I always complain about governance because I understand the basic principles.

“You cannot have education, an advanced one and have political literacy that then the country will not matter to you.”

Daily Trust

Urgent action is needed to save millions of children from malnutrition in north-east Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, Nigeria’s Resident Coordinator, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has said.

Fall made this known on Monday when he visited the Stabilisation Centre, a hospital dedicated to treating malnourished children, in Yola, Adamawa State, as part of activities to commemorate World Humanitarian Day (WHD2024).

The theme of the 2024 celebration is #Act for Humanity.

According to the UN-OCHA, 4.8 million people are projected to be food insecure during the lean season, with 230,000 children at risk of life-threatening severe acute malnutrition.

A lean season response plan seeking $306 million to alleviate the crisis is only 30 per cent funded.

“It is only befitting that as we mark the 2024 World Humanitarian Day, we should all stand in solidarity with the little children whose lives are on the line.

“With mothers who are struggling to feed their children, boys and girls who are missing out on a childhood.

“Because they have been forced by circumstances to take on adult roles to help their families make ends meet, these people need our collective humanity,” he said.

He, therefore, called on partners to address the severe food insecurity and malnutrition affecting Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

The coordinator emphasised that stakeholders and agencies of government should mobilise resources to support humanity and help the children in need.

“I visited a stabilisation centre for malnourished children that is run by the government and supported by the International Rescue Committee and UNICEF here in Yola.

“The scenes I saw were heart-wrenching because I saw babies fighting for their lives. It is unconscionable that we should see this level of suffering today.

He expressed worries about the ability of families to bear the cost of treatment hence the need for collective action to support humanity.

“Malnutrition also comes at an enormous cost to children’s physical and intellectual development, meaning that they may never reach their full potential.

“I met mothers who were both hopeful and worried. They are hopeful that
their children will get better soon but they are also worried that their children may get sick once again.

“Because they can’t access enough nutritious food to sustain their health and I share their worries.

“Our ability to support these efforts is rapidly diminishing because the resources that we saw mobilised for the Covid-19 response, and the global solidarity are no longer there.”

He, however, expressed optimism with the federal and state government’s support to address the situation.

”What gives me hope is that the state government working with development partners can bring hope to people in need.

“So, for me, the humanitarian space is one of the main spaces where humanity has its true expression.

“It is a space where you see humanitarian actors risking their lives to save other people’s lives, to reduce vulnerability, to protect and to help people get back on their feet,” he said

A medical practitioner in the centre, Sani Mohammed, who was part of the team that took the UN Coordinator around the facility, said the centre received an average of 96,000 patients annually within and outside the state.

NAN

PRESS RELEASE

As Nigeria marks 110 years since amalgamation and 64 years of independence, we believe it is time for a sober reflection. We must come together to chart a new path for peace and progress.

Nigerians should no longer fear open debates, negotiations, and decisions about the kind of relationship they want with other ethnic groups and how their country should be governed. It is high time we put a stop to living together in mutual suspicion and hatred. We must embrace a new political order to navigate the existential threats facing our nation. This call for deep introspection and institution of regional system became more pertinent in view of what occurred in this country in the early days of this month; August.

On August 1, 2024, concerned citizens, particularly the youths, commenced a nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance. This protest marked a critical moment in Nigeria’s history, as citizens chose to express their frustration and demand accountability from those in power. The peaceful calls for better governance and economic stability reflected deep-seated concerns about pervasive profligacy, corruption, mismanagement, hunger, widespread poverty and the failure to address the welfare of the citizens.

Unfortunately, what began as a peaceful demonstration took a violent turn in some areas, leading to the tragic loss of lives. Additionally, some participants have been seen waving foreign flags and calling for a coup d’état. This development is deeply worrisome. These actions could have serious and far-reaching consequences for both the movement and the nation as a whole.

The core message of the protest, the legitimate demand for an end to bad governance and urgent action to address hunger, has been overshadowed by calls for unconstitutional means of changing the country’s leadership. The push for a coup d’état undermines what could have been a powerful advocacy for systemic reforms and improved governance. This shift in focus has alienated a broad section of the Nigerian public and may weaken the resolve of policymakers to engage in meaningful dialogue or pursue necessary reforms.

Openly calling for external intervention or a military takeover is a serious threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty. Waving foreign flags deepens divisions within the country, sends a message that undermines our collective struggle for a better Nigeria, and could lead to increased polarization, heightened political instability, and harm Nigeria’s diplomatic relations, making it more difficult to garner international support for positive

reforms.

We are reminded of the historical consequences of such actions. The military coup d’état of January 15, 1966 gave birth to the Unification Decree 34 of 1966 which marked the beginning of a process that centralized power, abolished regional self-government, and destroyed federalism that was instituted by our founding fathers.

The counter-coup of July 1966, which culminated in a devastating civil war and the subsequent military regimes gradually sealed the fate of federalism through various constitutional reviews and decrees. Military interregnum led to prolonged periods of repression, human rights abuses, and economic decline, the effects of which are still felt today.

For many indigenous ethnic groups, the hopes and dreams of development and progress at independence have faded and are now replaced with lingering fears of political and economic marginalization and

existential threats. The level of inter-ethnic distrust in the country is unprecedented. This is not the time to toy with our nascent and fragile democracy or the future of our dear country.

Our Proposal:

We firmly believe that Nigeria and Nigerians stand to benefit from a restructuring that returns the country to the original concepts of our founding fathers, with autonomous regions. The present quasi-unitary system is unsustainable. Nigeria requires a political governance structure with an equitable and inclusive power structure, a hybrid home grown democratic governance structures with elements of parliamentarism.

While we acknowledge that the process of restructuring Nigeria may exacerbate inter-regional and inter-ethnic tensions and conflicts at the initial stage as power dynamics and resource control shift, there is no doubt that it will bring peace and progress ultimately. We are inspired by other heterogeneous countries that have developed suitable structures and systems that have led to peaceful, stable, and prosperous societies.

It is time we returned to the original regional autonomous structure, establish a country where equity and trust reign. We firmly believe that the present administration has the historic duty to restructure this

country.

We should establish the modalities for reestablishing an autonomous regional structure, similar to what obtained in the 1959 Independence Constitution, but increasing the number of regions as dictated by current realities.

The Federal Government should first convene intrastate conferences by organizing ethnic nationality discussions within each state. The results of these intra-ethnic discussions should be subjected to a referendum to determine the preferred system of government favored by the people, which state each ethnic nationality preferred to belong to and which region each state want to join.

Each region should have its own constitution, outlining how it wishes to govern itself and how it intends to relate to other regions. This should be followed by inter-regional conversations to agree on a new Federal

Constitution and to determine inter-regional relationships. The regions should subscribe to an inviolable Article of the Federation that will establish and preserve autonomy and guarantee liberty, equality, equity,

and justice for each region.

Signed:

Yemi Farounbi - Chairman, Board of Trustees

Owolabi Oladejo - Convener

DIY Nweze - General Secretary

Israeli military retrieves bodies of six hostages held in Gaza

Israel retrieved the bodies of six hostages from the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza overnight, according to statements from the military and the prime minister's office on Tuesday.

The families of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Chaim Perry have been informed, the statements added.

The Hostages Families Forum, an organisation that represents most hostage families, welcomed the news but renewed its call on the government to conclude a hostage release deal with the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal. The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalise the deal currently on the table," it said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East this week trying to secure a ceasefire and hostage return agreementbetween Israel and Hamas.

The current war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military has since levelled swathes of the Palestinian enclave, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine launches drone attack on Moscow, other regions, Russian officials say

Ukraine launched a widespread drone attack on Russia on Wednesday, with air defence units destroying three drones some 38 kms (24 miles) south of the Kremlin, and 15 over the border Bryansk region, Russian officials said.

The three attack drones heading towards Moscow were downed over the city of Podolsk in the Moscow region, Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app.

"According to preliminary data, there is no damage or casualties at the site where the debris fell," Sobyanin said.

There were also no casualties or damage reported in the aftermath of the drone attack on the border Bryansk region in Russia's southwest, Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the region wrote on Telegram.

Russia's RIA state news agency reported also that two drones were destroyed over the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region to its north.

Separately, Vasily Golubev, governor of the Rostov region in Russia's southwest, said that air defence forces destroyed an Ukraine-launched missile over the region, with no injuries reported.

It was not clear how many drones and missiles in total Ukraine launched.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

In recent months, Kyiv has stepped up its air attacks on Russian territory, saying its aim is to destroy infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts. It also says that its attacks are in response to Russia's continued strikes on Ukrainian territory.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian MOD confirms capture of New York in Donbass

Russian troops have fully captured the town of Novgorodskoye, also known as New York – one of the largest settlements in the Toretsk agglomeration in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic – Moscow reported on Tuesday.

In an update on the Russian Defense Ministry’s official Telegram channel, it is reported that units of Russia’s Center group had eliminated “a large band of enemy troops” and liberated the strategically important logistics hub.

Kiev’s forces, according to Moscow, lost more than 585 servicemen, three tanks, two vehicles, a 155-mm US-made M777 howitzer, two 152-mm D-20 guns, and three 122-mm D-30 howitzers.

Before the ministry’s confirmation on Tuesday, the capture of the town was reported by RIA Novosti on Monday.

The capture of New York, which is part of Russia’s ongoing offensive in Donbass, opens a path towards the city of Toretsk, another major Ukrainian stronghold in the region and the center of the Toretsk agglomeration – a cluster of mostly industrial towns.

New York and Toretsk are both located less than two dozen kilometers from the Donbass city of Gorlovka, where Donetsk People’s Republic militias initially took up positions back in 2014.

Ukraine later turned the towns into part of a key defensive line, while Gorlovka was subjected to regular shelling in the years prior to the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in 2022. By mid-2017, the city had reported 235 civilian deaths linked to Ukrainian attacks.

Reuters/RT

The proof that madness is running wild in the National Assembly is that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen could dare to propose the contentious Counter Subversion Bill 2024. The proposed law sought, among other things, to impose a 10-year prison sentence or a fine of N5 million — or both— on Nigerians who refuse to recite the National Anthem. The bill was introduced following the May decision by President Bola Tinubu to revert to Nigeria’s old National Anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” which was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda. This decision itself had already stirred controversy, with many Nigerians questioning the rationale behind the change and expressing concerns about the anthem’s colonial origins and language, which spoke about tribes. Meanwhile, the old anthem was rediscovered and imposed on Nigerians without consultation or debate. What government is now telling Nigerians is that when it imposes something, Nigerians must obey it or be dealt with.

The bill, sponsored by Tajudeen himself, with the title, “Counter Subversion Bill and Other Related Ones,” introduced on 23 July, proposed severe penalties for anyone who refuses to recite the National Anthem, destroys national symbols, or undermines the Federal Government. In addition, it included punishments for defacing places of worship, setting up illegal roadblocks, and receiving foreign financial or political support that could compromise Nigeria’s security and development.

The essence of the bill was in its provisions for fines and prison sentences for those who disobey or disrespect authority, organise unauthorised processions, or supported paramilitary or militia groups. It sought to criminalise activities that undermine national security and peaceful coexistence, with penalties ranging from fines of N3 million to N15 million, and prison terms of up to 20 years. The idea was to criminalise all protests and opposition to government. The bill was clearly designed to end democracy in Nigeria, following the success of the ten-day #EndBadGovernance demonstrations. How did the House of Representatives even think it could pass such a draconian bill in Nigeria? The Speaker had to withdraw it in a hurry to stop the next set of national protests starting earlier than planned.

Activists, such as Omoyele Sowore and Aisha Yesufu, had strongly condemned the bill, with the former threatening a shutdown of the National Assembly if the bill was not withdrawn, while Yesufu declared she would rather face a 20-year prison sentence than sing the newly re-adopted National Anthem. The idea of equating disagreement with government with state subversion is the essence of fascism, and it is concerning that the leadership of our National Assembly can even think of such an initiative.

This is a National Assembly that has, for decades, refused to tell Nigerians the true amount its members receive each month as salaries and allowances. There was a breach in its armour of secrecy this week when Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP, Kano), on Wednesday, confirmed that he receives about N21+1 million monthly as his perquisite for representing the people of Kano South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly. He however said that he does not know how much goes to the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President, as well as each of the eight other principal officers of the upper chamber of the Nigerian parliament. The revelation by Kawu puts the total monthly package of all the 99 non-principal officers of the Senate at N2.079 billion.

The 10 principal officers of the 10th Senate are: President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy President, Jibrin Barau; Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Deputy Majority Leader, Lola Ashiru; Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno; Deputy Chief Whip, Nwebonyi Peter Onyeka; Minority Leader, Abba Moro; Deputy Minority Leader, Akogun Lere Oyewumi; Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu; and Deputy Minority Whip, Rufai Hanga.

In normal parliamentary systems, the earnings of members are public knowledge as they are available on the website of these branches of government. If our National Assembly has made its earnings a secret, it is because it knows some of the payments its members award themselves are illegal, and they need to hide their criminality while they insist we call them honourable and distinguished Nigerians. We need to withdraw these labels from them. As former President Olusegun Obasanjo said recently, the federal lawmakers are acting immorally for fixing their remunerations themselves. At a time when the majority of Nigerians are suffering from multi-dimensional poverty and severe hunger, it is shocking that legislators believe they can continue to consume a considerable slice of the national budget.

The management of the National Assembly not only lacks transparency but is activities are also conducted in a very authoritarian manner. When Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central, alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion, the upper legislative chamber suspended him, rather than investigate the very disturbing allegation. It would be recalled that the upper legislative chamber, during the debate leading up to Ningi’s suspension, descended into chaos when the senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Jarigbe, claimed that some senior senators received N500 million in the budget for constituency projects. We have been hearing that the leadership padding range is in the billions.

Increasingly, it has become clear that the leadership of the National Assembly is determined to shut up members and deny them the freedom of speech. When the concerned Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, expressed his views on the current hardship being faced by Nigerians and the President being caged by a cabal that is stopping even ministers from accessing him, Ndume was removed from his position as a principal officer. All senators were warned to stop making critical comments about government or they would be dealt with. It is this rising authoritarian culture within the National Assembly that emboldened the Speaker to seek to pass a law that would shut up Nigerians. Na lie. We no go gree.

** A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.

Scientists have figured out a better option to deal with increasing plastic waste across the world. A team of researchers developed a breakthrough method that easily converts microplastics into a material that’s harder than diamond and has an increasing demand in multiple industries.

Researchers converted microplastics into graphene that could be used for several applications, including the manufacturing of various sensors and water purification, as well as the absorption of PFAS.

“Approximately 30 mg of microplastics produced nearly 5 mg of graphene in 1 minute. This production rate is remarkably higher than achieved previously, and offers a simpler, more environmentally friendly alternative to current techniques,” said James Cook University’s Adeel Zafar.

Microplastics are notorious for their non-degradable and insoluble nature in water

JCU Mohan Jacob maintained that some plastic waste degrades into smaller fragments, often reaching micron sizes, which are notorious for their non-degradable and insoluble nature in water and are an evolving threat to fish and, animals and humans.
Researchers have underlined that microplastics’ characteristics enable them to absorb organic pollutants, and once they are in water, they are ultimately integrated into both marine and human food chains.

Recycling of microplastics faces significant challenges

“Disturbingly, microplastics disrupt marine life and coral reproduction,” said Zafar.
He stressed that the recycling of microplastics faces significant challenges due to labor-intensive separation processes and high costs, resulting in very low resource recovery globally.
“Upcycling, which involves transforming plastic waste into higher-value materials rather than simply breaking it down, has a high demand,” said Zafar.

Microplastics turned into graphene

The team ground-up plastic bottles into microplastics and then used the new Atmospheric Pressure Microwave Plasma synthesis technique to convert the debris to graphene –  a one atom thick carbon material that is harder than diamond, 200 times stronger than steel and five times lighter than aluminium – the use of which is burgeoning in several industries, according to James Cook University.

“The research not only pioneers a novel approach to graphene synthesis but also contributes to the broader goal of mitigating the adverse effects of microplastic pollution on our ecosystems,” said professor Jacob.

This study demonstrates that polyethylene microplastics from waste dropper bottles can be efficiently transformed into graphene using APMP synthesis.

Raman spectroscopy of synthesized material reveals a spectrum characteristic of graphene‐based materials, with indications of defects and the presence of oxygen content.

Interesting Engineering

This comparison reveals a stark contrast between the situations of minimum wage workers in London and Abuja, particularly in terms of transportation costs and their impact on workers' lives and the broader economy. Let's break it down:

1. Economic Context:

- London, UK:

  - Monthly Minimum Wage: £1,830.40.

  - Living Conditions: London is one of the most expensive cities globally, with high costs for housing, transportation, and other essentials. The minimum wage in London is higher compared to other regions in the UK due to the elevated cost of living, but this wage is still considered low relative to the city's overall cost structure.

- Abuja, Nigeria:

  - Monthly Minimum Wage: N70,000.

  - Living Conditions: Abuja, while being one of Nigeria's more expensive cities, especially within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), presents a different economic landscape. Despite being a planned city with modern infrastructure, many lower-paid workers live in satellite towns or even in neighboring states due to the high cost of housing in Abuja proper.

2. Transport Costs:

- London:

  - Zones 1-2 Travelcard: £147.50 per month (about 8% of the monthly wage).

  - Bus & Tram Pass: £93.60 per month (about 5.1% of the monthly wage).

  - Workers often try to optimize their commute by either limiting their travel to the most affordable zones or using bus passes exclusively. Despite the high cost of living, the public transportation network in London is extensive and reliable, which allows workers to choose from multiple commuting options based on their financial situation.

- Abuja:

  - Average Transport Cost: N3,000 per day; N66,000 per month of 22 working days (about 94% of the monthly wage).

  - The transport cost in Abuja is disproportionately high relative to the minimum wage. Most low-income workers live far from the city center in satellite towns or neighboring states where housing is more affordable but commuting costs are significant due to distance and the absence of a subsidized or well-developed public transport system. Many workers can only afford to commute a few days a week, which greatly affects their productivity and attendance.

3. Impact on Workers’ Lives:

- London:

  - Financial Strain: While transportation costs take up a significant portion of the minimum wage, workers still retain a large portion of their income for other expenses. However, the high costs of housing and other living expenses in London mean that minimum wage workers often struggle to make ends meet, despite access to efficient public transport.

  - Work-Life Balance: The availability of various public transport options enables more flexible commuting, although the financial strain may limit workers' ability to afford leisure or personal time.

- Abuja:

  - Severe Financial Strain:

The extreme cost of commuting consumes nearly all of a minimum wage worker’s income, leaving virtually nothing for other essential needs such as food, housing, or healthcare. This puts immense pressure on workers, leading to financial insecurity and a reliance on informal or corrupt means to supplement income.

  - Reduced Productivity:

Due to the inability to afford daily commuting costs, many workers attend work only sporadically. This has a direct impact on productivity, especially in the public sector, where attendance and efficient service delivery are crucial. The reliance on alternative, often corrupt, means of income also compromises ethical standards and public trust.

4. Implications for the Economy:

- London:

  - The high cost of living and transport presents challenges but does not severely impair the overall productivity of workers. London's well-developed infrastructure and social services provide a safety net that, while strained, helps mitigate some of the financial pressures on minimum wage workers.

  - The city's economy remains robust, but disparities in living standards and affordability highlight the ongoing challenge of ensuring that minimum wage policies keep pace with the cost of living.

- Abuja:

  - The disproportionate transport costs relative to income severely undermine the effectiveness of the minimum wage policy in improving workers' quality of life. The high cost of commuting significantly reduces disposable income, contributing to widespread financial hardship and reduced economic productivity.

  - The situation exacerbates systemic issues such as corruption, as workers feel compelled to engage in unethical practices to survive. The broader implications include weakened public institutions, reduced service delivery efficiency, and long-term economic stagnation if these issues are not addressed.

Conclusion:

The comparison between minimum wage workers in London and Abuja highlights a stark contrast in the effectiveness of wage policies and public infrastructure. While London’s high cost of living poses challenges, workers still retain a portion of their income after transport costs. In contrast, Abuja's minimum wage workers face an untenable situation where transportation alone consumes nearly all their earnings, leading to reduced productivity and ethical challenges.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has invited Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), for questioning over “a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”.

An invitation letter signed by Adamu Muazu, assistant commissioner of police, indicated that Ajaero is expected to be at the intelligence response team (IRT) complex in Abuja on Tuesday.

Muazu said an arrest warrant will be issued against Ajaero if he does not honour the invitation.

TheCable understands that the case is connected to the recent raid of the NLC secretariat in Abuja by the police.

On August 7, police raided the NLC building in the Central Business District of Abuja.

The NLC said the operatives who raided the building “claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests”.

Subsequently, Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP), said one of the masterminds of the Sudan conflict was traced to the NLC headquarters.

The IGP said police detectives traced the foreigner to a shop within the Labour House, adding that operatives did not raid the secretariat.

The Cable

There was no approval by the National Assembly before the procurement of the new presidential jet for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Daily Trust’s findings have revealed.

Late in June, an online news platform reported that the federal government had acquired an Airbus A330 aircraft from a German bank.

According to PREMIUM TIMES, the German bank had seized the aircraft from an unnamed Arabian prince and businessman, who reportedly failed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars he owed the bank.

Officials of the Presidency, according to the online news platform, had “kept their lips shut” about the planned purchase of a new aircraft for the Presidential Air Fleet.

And since then, there has not been any official statement from the Presidency on the matter.

The actual cost of the aircraft is yet to be ascertained. A report earlier by Premium Times had said it was learnt that government was negotiating to acquire it for $100 million, but said it could not establish the actual price it was procured.

Speaking on the matter during a plenary session of the upper legislative chamber, however, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the request for purchase of the aircraft had not been tabled before the parliament, but that once done, members would consider and approve it.

“We care about the president and we care about the Nigerian people. We will approve things that will benefit the Nigerian people”, Akpabio had said then, in respect of the bid to acquire the presidential aircraft.

Akpabio, who alleged that the National Assembly was being “blackmailed” over the matter, said: “But I can tell you that when you hear stories such as the death of the vice president of Malawi as a result of a defective plane, and then the death of the president of Iran as a result of defective aircraft; we shouldn’t ever sit and allow such to be at the ocean. It wouldn’t be.

“The Senate is very responsible. The National Assembly is very responsible. We will look into issues that will benefit the governance of the country.

“Irrespective of anticipatory blackmail, because those people know very well that something like that might come in the future; and if it’s a necessity, the Senate will look into it.

“But there is nothing like that before us now”, he said pointedly.

Nothing was heard about the matter until the recent controversy broke about the seizure of three Nigerian aircraft by a Chinese firm, acting on an order of a French court.

The French court had ordered the seizure of the three jets amid a long-standing dispute between Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment and the Ogun State government, over a massive industrial park that was to be developed to attract investors.

The planes were said to be undergoing  “routine maintenance” at the time of the seizure.

Meanwhile, the Chinese firm said on Friday that it had released, “as a gesture of goodwill”, the Airbus A330 for Tinubu to travel for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

A presidential spokesperson confirmed to Daily Trust that the new aircraft was purchased for the president.

“That is settled. Something that is now released (referring to the seized aircraft Airbus A330). If it was not purchased, how could it be withheld by the Chinese company? There’s no controversy around it. Almost everything has been concluded and it was out in the media”, the aide who declined to be named said.

On whether an approval was obtained from the National Assembly before the procurement of the presidential jet, the spokesperson said, “There was a story that the National Assembly directed that the aircraft should be procured for the President. There are a number of windows to the National Assembly.”

The government official also hinted that the aircraft could have been purchased under the Service Wide Vote, which he said, may not require the parliament’s assent.

Our National Assembly correspondents found that though the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence led by Satomi Ahmed had, earlier in June, recommended a new aircraft be procured for the president, the lawmakers did not approve it before they proceeded on their annual recess on July 23.

No approval request from the president for the procurement of a new presidential was considered on the floors of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives had, on July 23, passed the supplementary bill which sought to raise the 2024 Appropriation Act from N28.7 trillion to N35.06 trillion.

The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi, who presented the harmonised joint Senate and House report on the budget, had said, “As you can see, we have passed the N6.2 trillion budget of Mr President, the budget of Renewed Hope.

“N3.2 trillion is for capital expenditure; while about N3 trillion will go to the current. And as I said last time, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is a critical road infrastructure that Mr President wants to actualise.”

We’re not aware of approval for new presidential jet – Lawmakers 

Some lawmakers, who spoke to our reporters on condition of anonymity yesterday, said the National Assembly neither considered nor approved any request for the procurement of a presidential jet before proceeding on recess.

A credible source in the Senate said: “At no time was deal discussed at the plenary meeting. It was not tabled. But then, there is the probability that the president had sent the letter.”

Another source also said he was not aware of any approval by the Senate for the purchase of a new presidential jet.

“The last time we heard something about the new aircraft was when the Senate president, Akpabio, said no communication about it yet from the Villa, but that the National Assembly would not hesitate to approve it.

“I read it in the media that the aircraft had been purchased, and as I speak with you, no one has denied that the deal was sealed,” he said.

A member of the House of Representatives also told Daily Trust yesterday that no correspondence from the president was presented to them about the purchase of a new aircraft for the president.

He said: “We’ve not seen anything in the main budget or the supplementary budget about the purchase of a new presidential aircraft. Another thing is that, there is no detail of the supplementary budget passed. So, we don’t know whether it is in the 2024 supplementary budget because we have not been availed with the detailed breakdown. It was presented as a lump sum.

“We don’t know about the purchase of the aircraft because it was not presented to us and we have not seen any details about it. So, we cannot say anything. So, I won’t have any comments until I see the details”.

It can’t be true – NSA’s spokesman

When contacted on telephone last night, the spokesman of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Zakari Mijinyawa, told one of our reporters that it could not be true that the new presidential plane was purchased without an approval of the National Assembly.

“It cannot be true. This is the time I am hearing this whether in government or outside government,” he said.

Later in a telephone call to Daily Trust, Mijinyawa said he was informed by someone “within the system” that the purchase was captured in the Service Wide Vote.

Presidency, Defence ministry, Senate, Reps mum

The Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Bashir Lado, did not respond to WhatsApp and text messages seeking his comment. His phone line was busy several times one of our reporters called yesterday.

The chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu and Akin Rotimi respectively were contacted yesterday by Daily Trust via phone calls and text messages to confirm whether or not the purchase of the new presidential jet was authorized by the legislature, but they did not oblige.

In the same vein, the chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola and Abubakar Bichi respectively, neither answered phone calls nor replied to messages sent to their mobile lines telephone mobile line for enquiries.

Several calls and a text message to Mati Ali, the media aide to the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, were also not answered.

Daily Trust