Safety of Nigerian President paramount – Ohanaeze on Tinubu’s N150bn jet

The apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has stated that the safety concerns raised about the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 jet purchased during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo justify the acquisition of the controversial Airbus A330 recently purchased by President Bola Tinubu’s government.

It should be recalled that the Airbus A330, purchased for about N150 billion, has triggered mixed reactions from concerned Nigerians.

While some condemned the move, citing the country’s challenging economic situation, others believe that the Nigerian President deserves a better aircraft following reports that the old jet had once malfunctioned.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, while unveiling the new jet, revealed that the decision was influenced by “an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s parliament that questioned the B737-700(BBJ) safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia.”

Reacting to the controversy, the factional Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in a statement on Thursday, said that the safety of the Nigerian President “remains paramount.”

According to him, “the tragic incidents involving the untimely deaths of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Malawi’s Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima serve as a stark reminder of the dangers that can befall high-ranking officials when adequate measures are not taken to ensure their safety.