HURIWA: New Presidential Jet Does Not Fit Nigeria’s Poverty Situation

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has flayed the move to purchase new presidential jets for the Nigerian presidential fleet as an expensive gambit at a time many Nigerians are living in squalor.

The rights group also faulted the position of the presidential adviser on information and strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, who attacked the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party Mr. Peter Obi for opposing what it described as the ill-informed, ill-timed plan to buy a new plane at a time that over 133 million Nigerians are facing hunger, massive poverty and deprivation.

The rights group said: ” Let it be made clear from the onset that we are speaking as an independent and totally non-partisan organisation and so shouldn’t be identified as supporting either of the two parties in disagreement over the necessity or otherwise of buying a new plane for the office of Nigerian president.

“We make haste to say the aforementioned because in Nigeria now, many small-minded, myopic and extremely divisive persons who are otherwise ‘schooled’ often misconstrue positions of CSOs or non-governmental individuals as representing those of opposition politicians.

“We speak also on behalf of the suffering masses of Nigeria who have no voice in the media of mass communication”.

HURIWA recalled that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday, faulted the plan by the federal government to buy new aircraft for the presidential fleets.

He described the move as insensitive while Nigerians grapple with economic hardship occasioned by the federal government’s policies.

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.

HURIWA described the reaction of the President’s Special Adviser on information and strategy, as highly uncouth, unsophisticated, and highly insensitive and said there was nothing wrong if the Nigerian president flies commercial flights during his foreign trips.

The group stated that even the Supreme Pontiff who is the Head of the over 2 billion strong membership and wealthy religious body: Roman Catholic Church doesn’t even have a private plane but flies often on commercial airlines.

It also held that some heads of powerful and advanced economies do take commercial flights during foreign trips.

HURIWA challenged the Presidency to do just a little research to ascertain the fact that the Pope with all his majestic authorities over a flock of 2 billion people all over the World and as the head of the Vatican city which is a sovereignty has no private jet for the travelling conveniences.