New Presidential Jet: There Was No National Assembly’s Approval — Senator Abaribe

Former Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South Senatorial District), has declared that contrary to laid down rules, President Bola Tinubu did not seek the approval of the National Assembly before he purchased a new presidential jet.

Senator Abaribe specifically said that the National Assembly had no knowledge of the of the purchased presidential jet, stressing that he never saw any document in spite of the fact that he has been in the National Assembly.

This was as he expressed concern over public perception that the National Assembly members were being considered as rubber-stamps, stressing that it was like that owing to the feelings by the lawmakers that they had fought a lot, yet it did not yield much to the public thus, trying to have some cooperation with the executive.

Senator Abaribe, who stated these when he featured on Channels Television programme: “Politics Today,” on Monday evening on the controversial purchase of the jet, said that the National Assembly had no knowledge of the purchase of the presidential jet.

Abaribe said; “I am in the National Assembly, but I can tell you for a fact that nobody, quote me, nobody brought anything to the National Assembly to say please approve this for purchase of a new plane. Nobody brought anything.

“I never saw any document and I have always been in the National Assembly. Ask anyone, none,” he stressed.

Abaribe noted that the failure of the Presidency to approach the National Assembly with a request meant that part of the job of the legislator to be a check on the executive was not being efficiently carried out.

However, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga said that the Airbus A330 purchased for President Tinubu in August was a “used and refurbished” one.