In a move to reduce costs and fund the purchase of a new aircraft, the federal government has decided to sell three of its six presidential jets.
The planes, which are reportedly outdated and in need of maintenance, will be sold through a US-based airline marketer, JetHQ.
The fleet includes a Boeing 737 BBJ, a Gulfstream, and a Falcon 7X, with ages ranging from 13 to 23 years.
According to sources, the government aims to use the proceeds from the sale to augment the cost of purchasing a new jet, as recommended by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
“We saw the report and recommendation by the lawmakers. But the truth of the matter is that we can not afford to buy two aircraft at a go, even though we are selling off others. The approval now is to find one whose cost is not too much that we can augment with what we raise from this sale,” the source said.
While two bids have been received for the BBJ and one for the Falcon X, the Office of the National Security Adviser is seeking better deals, according to Daily Nigerian.
The sale is part of a larger effort to reduce the presidential fleet and upgrade to more modern aircraft.
“Yes, we have received two offers for the BBJ and one for the Falcon X. But the NSA insisted that we must press for a better deal instead of rushing to have a bad deal for the government,” an PAF official involved with the process said on condition of anonymity,” pokesperson to the NSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, confirmed the ongoing disposal process.
