Nigerian Nigerian Nigerian Nigerian Jet Jet Jet Jet for for for for Malawian PresidentMalawian PresidentMalawian PresidentMalawian President

Malawi’s President, JoyceJoyceJoyceJoyce BandaBandaBandaBanda, sold her cash-strapped country’s only presidential jet to save costs.

PresidentPresidentPresidentPresident GoodluckGoodluckGoodluckGoodluck Jonathan,Jonathan,Jonathan,Jonathan, hashashashas inininin threethreethreethree yearsyearsyearsyears inininin office,office,office,office, expandedexpandedexpandedexpandedNigeria’sNigeria’sNigeria’sNigeria’s executiveexecutiveexecutiveexecutive fleetfleetfleetfleet totototo 10101010 aircraftaircraftaircraftaircraft (In(In(In(In thatthatthatthat singlesinglesinglesingle PresidentialPresidentialPresidentialPresidentialFleet,Fleet,Fleet,Fleet, youyouyouyou havehavehavehave Boeing,Boeing,Boeing,Boeing, Falcons,Falcons,Falcons,Falcons, Gulfstream,Gulfstream,Gulfstream,Gulfstream, HawkerHawkerHawkerHawker andandandand Cessna)Cessna)Cessna)Cessna)

Nigeria dispatched a jet from its Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) late last month (June) to fetch Malawi’s

President, Joyce Banda, to Abuja

Over 60 Over 60 Over 60 Over 60 % of Nigeria population % of Nigeria population % of Nigeria population % of Nigeria population living in povertyliving in povertyliving in povertyliving in poverty

Provision has reportedly

been made to purchase two additional

helicopters to ensure the President,

Vice-President, their families, and other top functionaries travel in luxury

at public expense

Joyce Banda was in Nigeria to deliver the keynote address at the GlobalGlobalGlobalGlobal PowerPowerPowerPowerWomenWomenWomenWomen NetworkNetworkNetworkNetwork AfricaAfricaAfricaAfrica summit in Abuja at the invitation of Nigeria’s First Lady. Toease her trip to Nigeria’s capital, our generous government dispatched a jet to pickher from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, and return her home after the event. That is tobe expected since Malawi lacks a presidential aircraft

Joyce Banda assumed office in 2012; she took acritical look at her country’s economy.

The International Monetary Fund and theWorld Bank had withdrawn most aid inresponse to the purchase in 2009 of apresidential jet by Banda’s predecessor, Binguwa Mutharika, and his abandonment of an IMF-dictated adjustment programme. Other donorsfollowed the World Bank/IMF lead.

Almost 40 Almost 40 Almost 40 Almost 40 % of % of % of % of the national the national the national the national budget came budget came budget came budget came

from aid donorsfrom aid donorsfrom aid donorsfrom aid donors

revenues from its major exports revenues from its major exports revenues from its major exports revenues from its major exports –––– tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar –––– were were were were falling due to lower global demand and pricesfalling due to lower global demand and pricesfalling due to lower global demand and pricesfalling due to lower global demand and prices

Withdrawn

�Joyce Banda sold the presidential plane for $15 million (N2.33B)

�Also sold off a fleet of 60 Mercedes Benz limousines reserved for the president and the cabinet.

�She cut her own salary by 30%, among other austerity measures.

Sold!Sold!Sold!Sold!

Sold!Sold!Sold!Sold!

Her actions won praise around the world and Her actions won praise around the world and Her actions won praise around the world and Her actions won praise around the world and convinced the IMF and other aid donors to return convinced the IMF and other aid donors to return convinced the IMF and other aid donors to return convinced the IMF and other aid donors to return with credit and handouts to back the government’s with credit and handouts to back the government’s with credit and handouts to back the government’s with credit and handouts to back the government’s ongoing painful structural adjustment programme.ongoing painful structural adjustment programme.ongoing painful structural adjustment programme.ongoing painful structural adjustment programme.

Restored!

But Nigerian leaders will not sacrificewill not sacrificewill not sacrificewill not sacrifice their own comfort

for anything. Even in a rich country like Britain, Prime Even in a rich country like Britain, Prime Even in a rich country like Britain, Prime Even in a rich country like Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron and cabinet members took Minister David Cameron and cabinet members took Minister David Cameron and cabinet members took Minister David Cameron and cabinet members took

pay cutspay cutspay cutspay cuts in response to the global recession and the spending cuts that the government introduced. Here, our leaders are Here, our leaders are Here, our leaders are Here, our leaders are obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the mass obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the mass obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the mass obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the mass of people who are poor, the lack of infrastructure, of people who are poor, the lack of infrastructure, of people who are poor, the lack of infrastructure, of people who are poor, the lack of infrastructure, mass unemployment and dwindling mass unemployment and dwindling mass unemployment and dwindling mass unemployment and dwindling revenuesrevenuesrevenuesrevenues.

Okonjo-Iweala’s warning that the government may run out of money to pay salaries by October in the face of massive oil theft

and vandalism of pipelines that have sharply reduced oil

production and revenues has not jolted officials. Neither the Neither the Neither the Neither the wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators are wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators are wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators are wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators are

ready to give up their luxurious lifestylesready to give up their luxurious lifestylesready to give up their luxurious lifestylesready to give up their luxurious lifestyles.

The British Queen, Elizabeth II, and Cameron travel on

chartered British Airways flights, despite their country’s $2.32 $2.32 $2.32 $2.32 trilliontrilliontrilliontrillion GDP and Per Capital Income of $38,700$38,700$38,700$38,700

Japan, with its Gross Domestic Product of $4.52 trillion$4.52 trillion$4.52 trillion$4.52 trillion and per capita

income of $36,200$36,200$36,200$36,200, (at Purchasing Power Parity), has only 2 aircrafts2 aircrafts2 aircrafts2 aircrafts–Boeing 747 – 400 – for use of the prime minister and the emperor.

The Netherlands, with GDP

of

$770.2 $770.2 $770.2 $770.2 billionbillionbillionbillionand Per Capital

Income of

$42,300$42,300$42,300$42,300, has 2

South South South South Africa Africa Africa Africa has just one

presidential aircraft with

its GDP of

$678.6 $678.6 $678.6 $678.6 billion billion billion billion

and PCI of

$11,300$11,300$11,300$11,300, though it expects another soon

Malaysia has one, has also ordered a second;

but with its GDP of $492 billion$492 billion$492 billion$492 billion & PCI of

$16,900$16,900$16,900$16,900

Like others cited, Malaysia is ahead of Nigeria with a GDP of $450.5 billion

and PCI of $2,700

10 Jets!10 Jets!10 Jets!10 Jets!

No.No.No.No. CountryCountryCountryCountry GDPGDPGDPGDP PCIPCIPCIPCI JetJetJetJet

1111 Japan $4.52 trillion $36,200 2

2222 Netherlands $770.2 billion $42,300 2

3333 England $2.32 trillion $38,700 Nil

4444 South Africa $678.6 billion $11,300 1

5555 Malaysia $492 billion $16,900 1

6666 Nigeria $450.5 billion $2,700 10

Today, the aviation sector is in dire straits. How does one explain that only two

domestic airlines –ArikArikArikArik, with 23 planes, with 23 planes, with 23 planes, with 23 planes, & & & & Aero Aero Aero Aero Contractors Contractors Contractors Contractors with 14with 14with 14with 14 – have larger fleets than this one kept for a few at public expense?

Over N9 billionN9 billionN9 billionN9 billionis believed to be spent on the

maintenance of the presidential fleet each year, while

the PAF required

47 Nigerian 47 Nigerian 47 Nigerian 47 Nigerian Air Force Air Force Air Force Air Force

officers, 173 officers, 173 officers, 173 officers, 173 airmen/airwoairmen/airwoairmen/airwoairmen/airwomen and 96men and 96men and 96men and 96civilian employees on full time call in

2012.

Nigerians, however, desperately need a government that exists to

serve the people, not a few.

Successive governments have demonstrated incompetenceincompetenceincompetenceincompetence and abusedabusedabusedabused and misusedmisusedmisusedmisused publicpublicpublicpublic fundsfundsfundsfunds. There should be minimum

ethical standards and decorum in public office.

Other developing nations like Ghana where a former president, John Kufuor, once

disposed of a spare presidential aircraft, retaining only one, should shame us into prudent

conduct

Jonathan has no excuse to continue keeping 10 aircraftand our under-performing legislators have no reason tokeep approving new purchases or the billions of nairathey appropriate for their maintenance each year.

But, ultimately, it is only when the electorate shakes off its lethargy and

demands demands demands demands Accountability and Responsibility Accountability and Responsibility Accountability and Responsibility Accountability and Responsibility from public officials that things will change

for the better.

Arise O’ CompatriotArise O’ CompatriotArise O’ CompatriotArise O’ Compatriot

SourceSourceSourceSource� Nigerian jet for Malawian Nigerian jet for Malawian Nigerian jet for Malawian Nigerian jet for Malawian President, President, President, President, The

Punch Newspaper, July 16, 2013 by Editorial Board

� Pictures from, www.flickr.com. Google Images