Nigerians are constantly being disoriented by the value judgements and decisions of their leaders, particularly the penchant of political office holders flying in state-of-the-art private jets or helicopters to destinations within and outside the country to attend to frivolities. While many of them, especially governors and ministers, have adopted the new private jet ownership model christened time-share lease, a development that has added more than 30 private jets to the existing ones in the country in the last three years, others have gone a step further to flaunt their profligate lifestyles by using state resources to purchase, own and maintain private jets for their personal movement within and outside the country. But should Nigeria’s under-performing political leadership of today continue to live in affluence at the expense of Nigerian citizens, many of whom are poverty stricken and do not know where the next meal is coming from? Our answer is an emphatic no!
There is no doubt that officials who benefit from the obviously wasteful fad want to compete with President Goodluck Jonathan and his Presidential Aircraft Fleet (PAF). In the President’s airplanes’ line-up are 11 aircraft. But Jonathan is the nation’s leader for now, and comparing the resources of the Federal Government with those of states, most of which rely on federal allocations for survival, is sheer madness. Such rationalization is myopic. Most states, many of which are struggling to service their bloated bureaucracies, cannot defend such reckless spending. The opportunity cost is too high, too. Conveniences, saving time, security guarantee, control of flight schedules, etc., are some of the reasons being touted as responsible for the wasting of state funds on private jets and helicopters by governors. The reasons may be valid. But the options of aircraft charter and outright ‘ownership’ betray the ruling class’ poverty of conscience, in a country where over half of the roughly 174 million population are living in grinding poverty.
Why are Nigerian leaders running away from finding a permanent solution to the nation’s aviation crises? Why has the aviation industry been turned to a weapon in the hands of politicians?
Why can’t the sector be regulated in line with international best practices in the interest of all? Investigations by a national newspaper put the minimum amount charged by charter airline operators for a round trip to Abuja from Lagos as between $16,000 and $18,000. Only a three-hour grace period is the industry practice after which a $500 per hour bill is slammed on the user by the operator. Subjected to cost-benefit analysis, any of the preferred options is nothing but a drain on the resources of any state in the country. For governors and ministers flaunting acquired private jets, other associated costs they have to contend with range from maintenance, take off, landing and parking levies. These are constant expenditure items in their overheads that must be serviced to sustain their new ‘levels’. Enough of this official profligacy, whether at the federal or state level! It is high time insensitive federal and state leaders called themselves to order. Former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State showed a good example of how public officers should manage state funds. He flew with ordinary citizens even while serving as a governor. Why are governors, some of whom never attained Obi’s achievements in life before emerging as governors, being so rascally with public funds?
