Presidential Air Fleet: Reps C’ttee Meets Commander and NSA

Jonas Ezieke, Abuja

The House of Representatives yesterday met with the Commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Vice Marshal Olayinka Olusola as well as representatives of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Major Gen.M. Galadima to ascertain the state of presidential Air Fleet in Nigeria.

In a welcome remark, the Chairman of the House Commitee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon Satomi Ahmed sought for thorough explanation from the Commander Presidential Air Fleet as well as the NSA in order to ascertain the state of the national asset

Speaking further, the Chairman said they were surprised at what they read from the online media about the current state of the presidential Airfleet in the country and wanted a confirmation or otherwise from critical stakeholders.

Lawmakers had shortly after introduction and welcome address by the Chairman of the Commitee went for a closed door session.

It would be recalled that Hon Satomi had last week moved a motion during plenary on the need to invite the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to appear before lawmakers and explain the state of the Presidential Airfleet to Nigerians.

According to him,the Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima was recently forced to cancel his trip to the United States where he was scheduled to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit because of a fault detected in his aircraft.

He further informed that President Bola Tinubu was equally forced to fly in a chartered plane from Netherlands to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum held in that country owing to a fault detected in his airfleet.

In another development, Hon Satome had during a press conference at National Assembly informed that legislative measures to investigate the matter was in top gear by his committee

Meanwhile, the meeting between lawmakers under the National Security and Intelligence committee and the Office of the National Security Adviser later was held in closed door.

The Chairman of the House Commitee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon.Ahmed in a brief interview informed newsmen that they have decided to form a technical sub- committee that will liaise between the House and other stakeholders to sort out all the challenges in the presidential Air Fleet.