The ‘mis’use of presidential jet by Hanan Buhari

Introduction

Being a scion of a political office holders comes with a lot of privileges. Be you a wife, son, daughter, mother, father, relative or associate of a high-ranking political office holder such as a president or a governor, even a local government chairman comes with some perks. You’re adored and revered. People want to identify with you because they see you as an influencer. Great courtesies are therefore extended to anyone who is close to persons in corridor of power. That is why a durbar has to be specially organized for the daughter of the president, Hanan Buhari and the Office of National Security Adviser will approve a presidential jet to convey her on a personal study tour of Bauchi State cultural sites. 

Hanan’s sin

On Thursday, January 9, 2020, Hanan Buhari stirred controversy when she travelled to Bauchi for a private and personal engagement in a presidential jet. It was learnt that the office of the National Security Adviser who is in charge of the presidential fleet released the jet for her use. Hanan, according to Daily Nigerian, was conveyed by the Presidential jet to attend the Durbar in Bauchi. The President’s daughter, who recently graduated with a first class in Photography from Ravensbourne University, London, was said to have been invited by the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Adamu, as a special guest of honour. In photographs which have since gone viral on social media, Hanan could be seen disembarking from the plane and being welcomed by Bauchi State officials. It was gathered that the durbar was specially organised to avail the President’s daughter of the opportunity to take photographs of the traditional durbar, Bauchi architecture and other cultural sites in the state. As a professional photographer, Miss Buhari is expected to document her experiences in pictorial form in her gallery. The incident has since sparked a debate on social media.

Unkept promise

According to The PUNCH newspaper, by convention, only the President, first lady, Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker, Chief Justice of Nigeria, former Presidents and a Presidential delegation are allowed to use the Presidential jet. Recall that Buhari had before becoming President, criticised past governments for misusing public funds. The All Progressives Congress had promised to sell off some of the jets in the Presidential fleet due to the high cost of maintenance. However, only two helicopters out of the fleet of 10 was donated to the Nigerian Air Force while two presidential aircraft, a Falcon 7X executive jet and Hawker 4000, that were advertised for sale in October 2016, had yet to be sold as of 2018. About N8.5bn was allocated for the maintenance of the Presidential fleet in the 2020 budget.

Official reaction

In an official reaction, Presidential Spokesperson, Garba Shehu said there is nothing wrong with ferrying a president’s daughter in an official aircraft for a private visit. According to him, Shehu, a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, told The Guardian that the President’s daughter, a member of the First Family, belonged to the group of special Nigerians entitled to fly the jet. He said: “The normal practice, in existence for a long time, is that the Presidential Air fleet is available to the President and the First Family and four others. These four are the Vice President, the Senate President, the Speaker and any other person(s) so permitted by the President…”

Any law broken?

According to PREMIUM TIMES including confirmations by lawyers indicate that the Nigerian constitution makes no clear rule on such use of the presidential jet. According to an erudite lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, “However, there should be protocols for such purpose. For example, will it be permissible for children of the president to be moving around with the presidential limousines or cars? That will not be permissible due to security implications and for the dignity of that office. You must be aware that even the presidential jet has the seal of the president on it. So, does it mean the daughter should be using a facility dedicated to the president without the president on board?”

Fiery human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) is of the opinion that the so-called “normal practice” mentioned by Mallam Garba Shehu of using the aircraft in the presidential fleet for members of the first family to attend to private engagements is not backed by any extant law or official policy.

“Even the use of the aircraft in the presidential fleet by the Senate President, House Speaker and Chief Justice of Nigeria has not been approved by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission which is the statutory body empowered by the Constitution and the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission Act to determine the remuneration and allowances of all political office holders in Nigeria,” Mr Falana argued.

A former Special Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Political Matters, Akin Osuntokun, says the children of the President, have no right to use the Presidential jet. Osuntokun said this during an interview with The PUNCH while reacting to claims by Buhari’s Spokesman, Garba Shehu, that the Presidential jet by tradition is available for use by the first family, the Vice-President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He said, “The President’s children have no right to the Presidential jet. Whoever said they do is not telling the truth. In fact, in many advanced countries today, the leaders are not allowed to use Presidential jets for private matters and in some instances, they pay the government whenever they do such. Prince Harry who is a member of the British Royal family has been travelling recently and has never used government aircraft.”

My view on the matter

I have had the privilege of discussing this issue on Arise TV News. I am of the considered view that what the president has done is a gross abuse of office and a desecration of the office of the president. While no law might have been broken, it is morally reprehensible that a president who is clamouring for reduction in the cost of governance will allow his daughter to be flown in a presidential jet to a private social event. This is a president that has barred his ministers from making frivolous travels. Nigerians will want to know how much was incurred by Hanan’s visit to Bauchi.

Nothing is wrong if Hanan were to be representing her father in an official national engagement. I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid or raised eyebrow if she went with her father on an official assignment. But to have a presidential jet dedicated to a president’s daughter for a personal engagement is a No, No! It is plainly insensitive to the mood of the country majority of whom are living in extreme poverty. For the records, this is why many Nigerians do not want to pay tax. They feel the proceeds or revenues from taxes and other levies are mismanaged. They opined that increased government revenues are being deployed to service the ostentatious lifestyle of our political leaders.

Let no one make no mistake about this, it is not only President Buhari that is doing this. Most of our political leaders and senior government officials flagrantly abuse their offices. Official vehicles are often used for personal runs even by members of the family of the political leader or government official. Official guest houses have, in some instances, been turned to brothel or ‘slaughter house’ where government officials have amorous affairs with their concubines. Even some official residences have been rented out by government officials in contravention of the rules governing the use of such apartments. Invariably, abuse of office cut across the three arms and three tiers of government.

Since there are no clear provisions in the Nigerian Constitution and other statute books on who is entitled to use of presidential fleet and cars aside from the elected president, it has become imperative to discard convention and rule of thumb and come up with clear legal provisions guiding the use of such facilities. Use of official assets for personal use, even for the elected public officials should be discontinued. There is an urgent need to cut down drastically on the privileges of our elected public officials across board.

This article was first published in THISDAY newspaper of today, January 21, 2020