***For FG to have purchased the jets despite outrage is insensitivity taken too far
The Preaidential Candidate of the Labour Party(LP) in the 2023 polls in Nigeria Peter Obi has deacribe the trending international news on the seizure of three Jets belonging to Nigeria’s Presidential fleet as yet another of many embarrassing issues exposing the Nigerian failed leadership and its attitude to the rule of law evenin a democracy.
The Ogun State Government has confirmed the recent seizure of three Nigerian government presidential aircraft by a French court.
The French court grounded the jets due to a contract dispute between the Ogun State government and Zhongshan, a Chinese company that had entered into an agreement with the state government.
The contract between the two parties, however, hit a deadlock and was revoked by the state government in 2016.
Following the disagreement, the Chinese firm took both the state government and the Federal Government to court, prompting the French court to seize the three presidential aircraft within its jurisdiction.
Continuing Obi observed that the new development has also exposed multiple dimensions to nations leadership failure and its insensitivity to the plight of the growing poor class in our midst
“The fact that the federal government went ahead with the jet deal despite the cacophonous cry against the purchase of a Presidential jet at this time when the people are going through a horrifying economic hardship shows the insensitivity of this administration.
“Added to it is the embarrassing aspect of our country’s Presidential jets being held for contractual breaches arising from yet another dimension of inadequate leadership tidiness.
I have been loud in my demand over time that the government at all levels should be accountable to the people, meaning that they must be very transparent in all their dealings. “Until a court in France prohibits Nigeria from moving or selling these three jets, Nigerians have no iota of information about both the buying and selling of these aircraft.
It has been done in secrecy. Federal Government property, which belongs to the people, is being managed as a personal family asset.
Paying as much as $100m dollars for a Presidential jet for a country that is the poverty capital of the World and has more out-of-school children with over 40% food inflation is the height of lack of concern for the people’s feelings.
“This incident has also opened up an aspect of indiscipline that is copiously embedded in our country which is the abuse and disrespect for the rule of law.
Obi threw up som questions that are begging for answers:
“To what extent did the Ogun government follow its agreement with the Chinese firm?
After the UK court ruling that prohibited some Nigeria building in Liverpool, what did both Ogun state and Federal government do before the French court action ?
He challenged the federal government to come clean and transparently on the matter by telling Nigerians how we got to this latest international mess.
