Nigerian Jet for Malawian president...she sold her own for the improvement of her country's economy

1. NigerianNigerianNigerianNigerian JetJetJetJet forforforfor
Malawian PresidentMalawian PresidentMalawian PresidentMalawian President

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

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

4. Nigeria dispatched a jet from its Presidential Air Fleet
(PAF) late last month (June) to fetch Malawi’s
President, Joyce Banda, to Abuja

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

6. 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

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

8. Joyce Banda assumed office in 2012; she took a
critical look at her country’s economy.
The International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank had withdrawn most aid in
response to the purchase in 2009 of a
presidential jet by Banda’s predecessor, Bingu
wa Mutharika, and his abandonment of an IMF-
dictated adjustment programme. Other donors
followed the World Bank/IMF lead.
Almost 40Almost 40Almost 40Almost 40 % of% of% of% of
the nationalthe nationalthe nationalthe national
budget camebudget camebudget camebudget came
from aid donorsfrom aid donorsfrom aid donorsfrom aid donors
revenues from its major exportsrevenues from its major exportsrevenues from its major exportsrevenues from its major exports –––– tobacco, tea, coffee and sugartobacco, tea, coffee and sugartobacco, tea, coffee and sugartobacco, tea, coffee and sugar –––– werewerewerewere
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

9. 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!

10. Her actions won praise around the world andHer actions won praise around the world andHer actions won praise around the world andHer actions won praise around the world and
convinced the IMF and other aid donors to returnconvinced the IMF and other aid donors to returnconvinced the IMF and other aid donors to returnconvinced the IMF and other aid donors to return
with credit and handouts to back the government’swith credit and handouts to back the government’swith credit and handouts to back the government’swith 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!

11. But Nigerian leaders will not sacrificewill not sacrificewill not sacrificewill not sacrifice their own comfort
for anything. Even in a rich country like Britain, PrimeEven in a rich country like Britain, PrimeEven in a rich country like Britain, PrimeEven in a rich country like Britain, Prime
Minister David Cameron and cabinet members tookMinister David Cameron and cabinet members tookMinister David Cameron and cabinet members tookMinister 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 areHere, our leaders areHere, our leaders areHere, our leaders are
obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the massobsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the massobsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the massobsessed 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 dwindlingmass unemployment and dwindlingmass unemployment and dwindlingmass 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 theNeither theNeither theNeither the
wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators arewasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators arewasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators arewasteful 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.

12. 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

13. 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.

14. The
Netherlands
, with GDP
of
$770.2$770.2$770.2$770.2
billionbillionbillionbillion
and Per
Capital
Income of
$42,300$42,300$42,300$42,300
, has 2

15. SouthSouthSouthSouth
AfricaAfricaAfricaAfrica has
just one
presidential
aircraft with
its GDP of
$678.6$678.6$678.6$678.6
billionbillionbillionbillion
and PCI of
$11,300$11,300$11,300$11,300
, though it
expects
another
soon

16. 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

17. 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!

18. 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

19. 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, &&&& AeroAeroAeroAero ContractorsContractorsContractorsContractors
with 14with 14with 14with 14 – have larger fleets than this one kept for a few at public expense?

20. Over N9 billionN9 billionN9 billionN9 billion
is believed to be
spent on the
maintenance of the
presidential fleet
each year, while
the PAF required
47 Nigerian47 Nigerian47 Nigerian47 Nigerian
Air ForceAir ForceAir ForceAir Force
officers, 173officers, 173officers, 173officers, 173
airmen/airwoairmen/airwoairmen/airwoairmen/airwo
men and 96men and 96men and 96men and 96
civilian employees
on full time call in
2012.

21. Nigerians, however, desperately
need a government that exists to
serve the people, not a few.

22. Successive governments have demonstrated incompetenceincompetenceincompetenceincompetence and
abusedabusedabusedabused and misusedmisusedmisusedmisused publicpublicpublicpublic fundsfundsfundsfunds. There should be minimum
ethical standards and decorum in public office.

23. 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

24. Jonathan has no excuse to continue keeping 10 aircraft
and our under-performing legislators have no reason to
keep approving new purchases or the billions of naira
they appropriate for their maintenance each year.

25. But, ultimately, it is only when the
electorate shakes off its lethargy and
demandsdemandsdemandsdemands Accountability and ResponsibilityAccountability and ResponsibilityAccountability and ResponsibilityAccountability and Responsibility
from public officials that things will change
for the better.

26. Arise O’ CompatriotArise O’ CompatriotArise O’ CompatriotArise O’ Compatriot

27. SourceSourceSourceSource
Nigerian jet for MalawianNigerian jet for MalawianNigerian jet for MalawianNigerian jet for Malawian President,President,President,President, The
Punch Newspaper, July 16, 2013 by
Editorial Board
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