that the Senate had not approved the purchase of new presidential jets for the
use of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He described as malicious a report quoting him to have said the National Assembly would approve the purchase of
new aircraft for the President and Vice President, irrespective of the harsh
economic situation in the country.
The alleged report comes in the wake of the recommendation
by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence
to buy new aircraft for the President and the Vice-President as the existing presidential
jets are faulty and unsafe for use.
Last week, President Tinubu flew to South Africa for the
inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa in a private jet.
The Presidency justified the need to buy new presidential
aircraft while reacting to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party,
Peter Obi, who described the plan as misplaced and insensitive.
But the Presidency, in a swift reaction, described Obi’s
comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the
President jeopardised by flying faulty aircraft.
“Does he (Obi) want
him (Tinubu) to continue moving around in a rickety plane and die like the VP
of Malawi and Iran President? Let him tell us. This is a basic thing any sane
government will do. You can’t toy with your President’s welfare,” presidential
spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said.
However, Akpabio, in a statement by his media aide, Jackson
Udom, denied that the National Assembly had approved the purchase of new
aircraft for the President.
According to the statement, the Senate President stated this
while speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, Borno State, shortly after leading
a delegation to pay a condolence visit to Senator Tahir Monguno over the death
of his father.
He said, “I want to dispel the rumour that you are hearing that
the Senate President said he would buy a new plane for the President and his
Vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever.
“I never said that. I was actually in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It
is the handiwork of propagandists and fifth columnists, who never see anything
good in what we are doing.
“Rest assured, pray for the government, have patience and be
assured that the combination of Tinubu and Shettima will bring wealth and
prosperity to all,” Akpabio said.
He expressed satisfaction with the security situation in
Borno State and urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the Tinubu
administration.
“I am happy to see that peace has returned to Borno, as a
result of the hard work of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want to tell the good
people of Borno to continue to support the administration,” Akpabio said.
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