The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday approved the immediate release of the sum of N21 billion as contained in the 2010 Appropriation Act for the purchase of two aircraft for the presidential fleet. The deal also involved the supply of three presidential jets for the Nigerian government.
It will be recalled that the two of the presidential jets, including the one in which President Goodluck Jonathan travelled in to Kampala for the 15th African Union (AU) summit last month, developed mechanical fault, delaying his return to the country for one day.
Addressing State House Correspondents after the Council meeting, Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, said the deal was the outcome of negotiation between Nigerian officials and two separate business concerns from France and the United States for the three aircraft.
Dassault Aviation of France is to supply two new Falcon 7x aircraft, while the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of USA is to supply the Gulfstream G550 for use by the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF). She said the purchase price of the two Falcon jets was put at $102 million while the single Gulfstream jet was to cost another $53 million, totaling $154 million for the three aircraft. Akunyili pointed out that the committee set up for the negotiation of the acquisition of the aircraft was able to get a reduction of the sum of $2.9 million from the proposed price of the two Falcon jets and another reduction of $5.47 million from the offer price of the single Gulfstream jet.
The minister further explained that the first of the two Falcon jets would be delivered by the end of the fourth quarter of this year, while the second Falcon and the Gulfstream jets would be delivered by the end of the second quarter of next year.
“The sum of N21 billion has been provided in the 2010 Appropriation Act for the outright purchase of the two Falcon 7x aircraft and the one unit G550 to be delivered as agreed in the contract,” she disclosed. According to Akunyili, the FEC, presided over by President Jonathan, after consideration, “approved the purchase of two Falcon 7x aircraft and one Gulfstream G550 aircraft in favour of Messrs Dassault Aviation and Messrs Gulfstream respectively at the cost of $154.529 million.”
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Posted: at 12-08-2010 07:25 AM (14 years ago) | Addicted Hero
japhethjeff at 12-08-2010 07:55 AM (14 years ago) (m)
;DHello? Hello? Anybody there? Echo!
Posted: at 12-08-2010 07:55 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming
TruNaija at 12-08-2010 08:33 AM (14 years ago) (f)
UP NigerDelta, UP Pres Goodluck! Even though you have not declared yet, with all these buy buy, we can tell that 2011, Na you biko. Hope the jet is for Aso Rock and not for Jonathan sha. Long live the Nigerian treasury, long live the goose that keep laying the golden eggsssssssssss!
Posted: at 12-08-2010 08:33 AM (14 years ago) | Newbie
sweetgift at 12-08-2010 09:33 AM (14 years ago) (f)
na wa ooooooooo! 12bn for ordinary jet, while people are dying of hunger, some dont even av a roof over their head, no electricity to run business in order to make a living..............God help us in this country ooooooooo
Posted: at 12-08-2010 09:33 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming
popo2009 at 12-08-2010 09:48 AM (14 years ago) (m)
anybody that says Nigeria is not rich should have his head examine. becos even the so-called richesr countries dont waste money like this. i wish the aircraft wil be use for something better not to transport our money out of the country
Posted: at 12-08-2010 09:48 AM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac
mezkaz18 at 12-08-2010 09:55 AM (14 years ago) (m)
Quote from: teebaz990 on 12-08-2010 08:54 AM
For more than 50yrs Nigeria as a nation, we can not get electricity for more than 2 hrs a day but within 24 hrs the president and his goons has 3 brand new jets== wow naija
MY BROTHER u TALK TRU , THEN GO TELL SAY THE CONTRACTOR CHOP THE MONEY FOR THE ELECTRIC, BUT THE CONTRACTOR WEY DE BUY THE JET NO DE CHOP THE MONEY
Posted: at 12-08-2010 09:55 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming
WHY NOT GIVE N20.000.000 TO EACH OF THE 150.000.000 CITIZEN OF NIGERIA AND THEN BUY ONE JET FOR THE PRESIDENT. THREE JETS IS TOO MUCH FOR GEJ IN A NATION WHERE MANY DON'T EVEN HAVE FOOD TO EAT.
Posted: at 12-08-2010 10:54 AM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac
;DHello? Hello? Anybody there? Echo! 
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