PDP To Buhari: Presidential Fleet Not For Your Daughter’s Photography Trip
…Urges Presidency to Apologise For Abuse of Office
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described the action of President Muhammadu Buhari by detailing the officially restricted Presidential jet to chauffeur his daughter, Hanan for a private photography event in Bauchi State, as provocative, condemnable, completely improper and an unpardonable slap on the sensibility of millions of Nigerians.
The Party noted that such an act remains one of the worst form of corruption, adding that it is a direct insult particularly to the youths, who look up to Mr. President for integrity, uprightness and respect for rules.
The PDP noted that the development is a strong pointer to the recklessness that pervades the Buhari Presidency and the indefensible annexation of national assets and resources for illegal private use.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, stressed that it is even most appalling that instead of apologizing to Nigerians, the Buhari Presidency, in its arrogance, is resorting to falsehood and trying to justify the inexcusable.
Ologbondiyan said; “Our party holds that Mr. President should apologise for approving that her daughter uses the Presidential jet just for the purpose of allegedly taking photographs in a Durbar event in Bauchi state.
“Perhaps, the Buhari Presidency forgot that it is public knowledge that the Presidential fleet can only be authorized for use by the President, the First Lady, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, former Presidents, Presidential delegation and no one else.
“Moreover, the rules do not grant the President any powers to transfer any paraphernalia of office or privileges of his position to any of his children.
“The Presidency’s defence is therefore a direct spat on millions of Nigerians who cannot freely ply our highways because Mr. President and his party the APC, have failed to fix and rid our roads of kidnappers and bandits, who have practically taken over major routes under their despicable watch,” he said.
The leading opposition Party notes that never in the history of our nation has a Presidency exhibited such arrogance, impunity and corruption, adding that the action has further shown that the Buhari Presidency had only been parading and getting away with false integrity.
The PDP recalled how President Buhari accused and criticized previous administrations of voting and wasting huge resources to maintain the Presidential fleet and promised to sell off most of the planes to save cost.
It further said; “Since President Buhari assumed office, none of the planes had been sold. Instead, the Buhari Presidency had continued to budget more funds for the fleet with N8.5 billion budgeted for 2020 alone, only to approve that his daughter uses a Presidential jet for her private photography event.”
“The PDP therefore urged the Buhari Presidency to respect the sensibilities of Nigerians by immediately withdrawing his provocative justification and show leadership by apologizing to the nation for the abuse of office.
