Foreign creditors could seize presidential planes for accumulated debts

Planes in the presidential air fleet are at risk of confiscation by foreign creditors, Saturday PUNCH has learned.

The results indicated that the PAF was indebted to several service providers for various upgrades performed on the 10 aircraft in the fleet to meet the required airworthiness.

The PAF provides secure air transportation for the President, Vice President, their immediate families, and other senior government officials.

However, due to insufficient funding, it was found that some installations on the aircraft have been postponed again to 2023.

PAF Commander Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdullahi, who stated them in his presentation of the defense budget to the National Assembly, also complained that only 1.5 billion naira had been allocated for the maintenance of the aircraft from the proposed budget. N4.5bn.

The PUNCH previously reported that the budget allocation to the PAF had increased by 121% in eight years.

Findings indicate that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired), had since 2016 allocated N81.80 billion for PAF upkeep and overseas travel .

The amount includes N62.47 billion for operation and maintenance of the PAF, N17.29 billion for overseas and local travel, and N2.04 billion earmarked for other expenses related.

The presidency has maintained 10 aircraft since the establishment of the Buhari regime in May 2015.

These are Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-800 or NAF 001), a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream V (Gulfstream 500), two Falcon 7X, a Hawker Siddeley 4000, two AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters and two AgustaWestland AW101 Helicopters.

Although Buhari promised to reduce the size of the fleet as part of his promise to reduce governance costs, audits revealed that his regime had not kept this promise.

However, National Security Advisor Major General Babagana Monguno (Retired) delivered the two VIP AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters from the Presidential Fleet to the Air Force.

But speaking to the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence during the budget defense session, the fleet commander explained that the average age of PAF planes is 11 years and in aviation, the cost of maintenance increases proportionally with the age of the aircraft.

Based on fleet experience, Abdullahi explained that the cost to maintain each aircraft is between $1.5 million and $4.5 million, depending on the level of maintenance necessary.

Furthermore, the commander disclosed that 2023, being an election year, will result in more missions and requests for spare parts for the aircraft due to increased usage.

He also told lawmakers that the N250 million approved for aviation fuel of the N4 billion requested was grossly insufficient; reminding them that aviation fuel, which sold at an average cost of 390 Naira per liter in January, was now dispensed at 915 Naira per litre.

The Fleet Commander argued that the 8.072 billion naira allocated to the fleet in the 2023 budget out of the 15.5 billion naira proposed was insufficient to meet the needs of the fleet.< /p>

He therefore pleaded for an upward revision of the budget.

In the 2022 budget, the PAF proposed N19.4 billion, but only N12.4 billion was earmarked, of which N11.13 billion (98.07% of the approval) had been released in October.< /p>

Abdullahi said: "It is pertinent for this honorable committee to note that for consecutive years the fleet has been grossly underfunded, which has made it difficult to operate. According to fleet records, debts from previous years are usually carried over to the next budget year and this is becoming a tradition.

"Let me also clarify that most of these debts are due to overseas service providers. Considering that more than 85% of fleet expenses are foreign exchange transactions, the actual dollar budget figure is further reduced.

“The fleet is currently indebted to some of its service providers due to insufficient funding of budget allocations and the situation makes it bad for planning. As previously stated, we currently need to perform certain mandatory upgrades on our aircraft in order to meet airworthiness requirements. »

Highlighting aircraft upgrades that had been halted due to lack of funds, the Air Vice Marshal revealed that two of the fleet's Falcon 7X aircraft bearing the numbers registration 5N-FGU and 5N-FGV were to be refurbished. to give a new look to 11-year-old planes.

Abdullahi added, "They are scheduled to be refurbished during their next planned maintenance in December 2022 and July 2023, respectively, which will cost $2.5 million each. Additionally, the staff and the plane...