Daily Independent (Lagos)
Otei Oham and Festus Owete
9 January 2009
Air Force top brass on Thursday defended the $212 million contract for 15 specialised aircraft, 12 of them for combat and three for training.
In Abuja, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, told the House of Representatives Air Fore Committee that the contract was signed in 2005, and $50.4 million has already been paid out.
He said the Air Force is in dare need of the aircraft, which is why the largest chunk of this year's budget is devoted to acquire them and to repair grounded ones.
He submitted a budget of N53.8 billion for capital and recurrent expenditure, inclusive of the balance N5 billion for the procurement of the aircraft.
On the choice of a Chinese company to supply the aircraft, Petinri explained that the company had agreed to the deal before full payment.
"We have decided to take a few projects to be implemented this year in view of the experience in recent times when so many were proposed and execution always problematic.
"It is only natural that we embark on projects that can be implemented for an efficient oriented force," he said before the meeting went into a closed door session.
Petirin had informed the Committee that about N270 million was spent to maintain two engines and overhaul 17 aircraft, carried out by DANA Aviation Company based in Kaduna.
He said the Air Force wants to domesticate its operations and maintenance.
He told the lawmakers that DANA is the only local company that can do intensive maintenance on Air Force aircraft as the manufacturer, Donnier of Germany, has been liquidated and bought by a Swiss aviation firm.
Committee Chairman, Halims Agoda, condemned the huge amount spent on repairing grounded aircraft, saying such can be used for other infrastructure.
He noted that the folding up of Donnier could mean that spare parts for the aircraft may no longer be available, posing a threat to maintenance.
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